Overview

• The WBAE has delivered to Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer recommendations for VAT parity on plant-based alternatives, a moderate VAT hike on animal products, and mandatory climate and Nutri-Score labels across all food items.
• Council experts note that meat substitutes account for just 1–2 percent of sales while Germans consume over one kilogram of meat weekly compared with the recommended 300 grams.
• The measures call for dedicated funding and faster approvals to spur research and development of biotechnological options such as cultured meat and precision fermentation.
• Transparent climate and nutritional labels are expected to guide consumer choices and support market growth for sustainable protein sources.
• Adopting the council’s ‘Reduce–Remix–Replace’ framework could gradually lower red and processed meat consumption without disrupting culinary habits.