Germany's environment minister says no more meat at official functions

Barbara Hendricks has taken a controversial meat-free stance in order to set a good example for climate protection.

Germany’s environment minister Barbara Hendricks announced earlier this week that meat and fish would no longer be served at official functions held by the Ministry of the Environment. Because animal agriculture creates such a toll on the environment, and plays a significant role in climate change and degradation of water and soil, Hendricks argues that the German government needs to do the responsible thing:

“We’re not telling anyone what they should eat. But we want to set a good example for climate protection, because vegetarian food is more climate-friendly than meat and fish.”

A department email requested that event caterers prioritize the purchase of seasonal, organic products, preferably those that have traveled the shortest distance, as well as fair-trade goods.

In a country where meaty foods like bratwurst, schnitzel, and pork knuckles are synonymous with cultural identity, this announcement has, not surprisingly, created quite a stir. It’s made worse by the fact that Hendricks is a member of the Social Democrats party (SPD), which is currently ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) in the polls – and an election is just a few months away.


More: http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/germanys-environment-minister-says-no-more-meat-official-functions.html