Overview

• Aldi Süd has stopped selling sausage products from the lowest animal welfare category, with Aldi Nord planning the same by the end of 2025.
• Other retailers like Lidl, Rewe, and Edeka are also transitioning to higher welfare standards, with varying timelines and progress.
• The voluntary 'Haltungsform' labeling system, introduced in 2019, categorizes meat into four welfare levels, with plans to align with a new state-mandated five-level system starting in August 2025.
• In 2023, only 1.5% of packaged pork in supermarkets came from the lowest welfare level, while 90.5% met slightly higher standards, and the share of higher levels is gradually increasing.
• Consumer demand and initiatives like the 'Initiative Tierwohl' are driving these changes, but challenges remain, including limited willingness to pay higher prices and political hurdles in funding systemic agricultural reforms.