The German Animal Welfare Federation welcomes the ruling on the turkey case, which was heard yesterday in the third instance at the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. As early as 2024, the Mannheim Administrative Court had already ruled that current conventional turkey farming violates animal welfare standards. Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation, comments:
“This ruling is a resounding slap in the face for both politicians and the industry: The so-called voluntary guidelines for turkey farming are nothing more than a fig leaf for systematic animal suffering. Federal Minister Alois Rainer can no longer duck the issue. This ruling requires action—immediate and consistent.
The facts have been laid out time and again. What’s missing is the political will. In February, the European Food Safety Authority issued scientific recommendations on turkey farming, and conditions in Germany are light-years away from meeting those standards. Concrete preparatory work for an appropriate amendment to the Animal Welfare and Livestock Farming Ordinance has been underway for years under the last two previous governments. Instead of waiting for an EU turkey farming regulation, it is now up to the current federal government to take up these drafts, refine them, and implement them swiftly.
The fact that binding guidelines for turkey farming are still lacking in Germany today is a scandal that legitimizes massive animal suffering: millions of animals are kept in a system that disregards their most basic needs—crammed together in cramped spaces, without sufficient enrichment or environmental stimulation. Added to this is the routine beak trimming, which is intended to adapt the animals to conditions that violate animal welfare. This painful practice causes additional suffering instead of addressing the root causes through improved housing conditions.”
Note to editors: The press release from the Federal Administrative Court can be found here.
