FDP on agriculture

The FDP wants to give farms more economic independence and long-term planning certainty. Investments are to be written off more quickly. Research into and use of digital technology in farming are to get better conditions.

Farmers plan for many years. The FDP wants to give them reliable rules. Farmers should be able to deduct spending on new things from taxes faster. Farms should use more digital technology. Farm research should grow too.

The platform argues that farming thinks in generations and needs dependable conditions. Digital agriculture is meant to raise yields, save time and at the same time protect soil, water and air, for instance through fewer pesticides. Innovation projects in research and practice are to be pushed more strongly. In addition, agricultural and environmental faculties are to be strengthened and start-ups in food and farming supported.

The FDP wants to include agriculture in trading with CO2 certificates. Research on cutting emissions is to be brought to market. In addition, growing soy in Germany is to be researched more intensively.

The FDP wants farming to take part in CO2 trading. New ideas from research should be put into practice. One example is different feed for cattle. Growing soy in Germany should be studied too.

Soy cultivation is meant to open a new market for farms and meet growing demand for vegan and vegetarian products. According to the platform, it could also help avoid clearing rainforest in South America. To lower emissions from cattle farming, the FDP mentions insect proteins as feed and algae additives. Carbon farming, biochar and bio-pyrolysis are also named as suitable methods.

The FDP wants to protect livestock grazers and demands that the states be allowed to manage wolf populations differently by region. Wolves that repeatedly kill grazing animals should be removable quickly and with legal certainty. It considers the current strict protection, which does not single out such animals, to be wrong.

Wolves kill more and more sheep and other grazing animals. The FDP wants to help the animals' owners. The states should decide for themselves how to deal with wolves. Wolves that kill many animals may be killed.

According to the platform, the spread of wolves poses major problems for grazing livestock farming in North Rhine-Westphalia because the number of kills is rising. So-called problem wolves are said to be responsible for a large share of them. The FDP therefore demands powers for the states to set up regionally adapted population management.

The FDP wants a uniform animal welfare label across the EU and Europe-wide origin labeling for meat and milk. It rejects additional national requirements for farmers. Farms are to be supported in improving animal welfare, for example through faster permits for open barns.

The FDP wants one animal welfare label for all of Europe. Meat and milk should show where they come from. German farmers should not get extra rules. Farmers who want to build open barns should get permits faster.

In the FDP's view, many different labels cause confusion rather than transparency. Origin labeling is to follow the system used for eggs. Uniform rules are meant to give German farms with their high standards a competitive edge, and EU rules are to be applied the same way everywhere. The measure of animal welfare should be the condition of the individual animal, not barn size or housing type alone. Better exhaust air systems and a dialogue among farmers, retailers and consumers are also to be supported.