More money for groceries: the wrong time, Mr Özdemir!

by time news

The year is drawing to a close, the Corona crisis still has people under control, electricity and gas are becoming more expensive and food prices are also rising. For many families this means tightening their belts even more.

It sounds a bit strange that right now Cem Özdemir, as the new Federal Minister of Agriculture, wants to elevate food to a luxury good and equate it with cars, which in his opinion are more valued. Sometimes he has the feeling that a good mineral oil is more important to us than a good salad oil. Therefore, there should no longer be junk prices for food, he said recently.

One can only reply: Wrong time, Mr. Özdemir. Even today, food is a luxury for many. Especially for 13.4 million people in Germany who are affected by poverty.

It is of course urgently necessary to rebuild an agriculture that for decades has relied on factory farming and laying hen batteries, among other things. More and more people know that animal husbandry cannot go on like this and act accordingly. Just as more and more citizens are making their contribution to climate and environmental protection. Many also want to eat healthier. But that also has to be affordable. Some people just can’t spend 18 euros on organic salad oil, but a maximum of three euros.

It will not be easy for Özdemir as Minister of Agriculture. He has to manage a balancing act between animal welfare and poverty. If he succeeds in that, it is commendable. However, it is tactically unwise to use a raised index finger to train people to adopt healthier habits and to persuade them to feel guilty. Or using Özdemier’s rules to reduce fatness by making finished products contain less sugar. The Green Minister can and should work for better health, but it is not just consumers who should foot the bill.

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