22/05/2002 
Can the new law for sales funds be a chance for the marketing of German agricultural products?
A comment on the alterations in the law for sales funds, by Mrs Monika Kleickmann
A press release from Mr Gustav Herzog (member of the German Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party) says that demands regarding the marketing of German agricultural prod-ucts have now passed the Bundestag. The protection of consumers, animals and the environ-ment is now grounded in the law for sales funds.
At it is said, Mr Herzog regards the new law as a chance to closing the gap between the con-sumers’ positive attitude to products with high standards and the customers’ real behaviour in purchasing. Is there a gap? And had not a corresponding prognosis already been given by conventionally led agriculture, when the ambitious objective of a part of 20 percent of eco-logical agriculture had been propagated? Is it necessary to close a gap here which would only mean to bring to light the failure of the
One could have thought the German government would now try to appoint representatives from the consumer protection committees, from ecological agriculture and from the fields of animal- and environment protection to be sent to the administration of the sales funds. And all this in order to direct the end consumer to the ministerial interests. However, trying to use the sales funds as sort of a
The press release mentioned before also says that in this way the marketing of agricultural products would be supported at home and abroad, in the interest of all fields of production of the German agricultural- and nutritional industries. For that reason, it could not be understood that the corresponding associations and societies would criticise this way of acting. About this the following needs to be mentioned: Should the sales funds be degraded to a marketing in-strument of ecological policy, it will be impossible that the representatives of agriculture only stand and watch, without saying a word.
A press release from Mr Gustav Herzog (member of the German Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party) says that demands regarding the marketing of German agricultural prod-ucts have now passed the Bundestag. The protection of consumers, animals and the environ-ment is now grounded in the law for sales funds.
At it is said, Mr Herzog regards the new law as a chance to closing the gap between the con-sumers’ positive attitude to products with high standards and the customers’ real behaviour in purchasing. Is there a gap? And had not a corresponding prognosis already been given by conventionally led agriculture, when the ambitious objective of a part of 20 percent of eco-logical agriculture had been propagated? Is it necessary to close a gap here which would only mean to bring to light the failure of the
greenagricultural policy?
One could have thought the German government would now try to appoint representatives from the consumer protection committees, from ecological agriculture and from the fields of animal- and environment protection to be sent to the administration of the sales funds. And all this in order to direct the end consumer to the ministerial interests. However, trying to use the sales funds as sort of a
green drive wheelfor increasing the demand for ecologically made products will at long last clutch at thin air. After all, the high standards demanded by the con-sumers can also be fulfilled by conventional agricultural farming.
The press release mentioned before also says that in this way the marketing of agricultural products would be supported at home and abroad, in the interest of all fields of production of the German agricultural- and nutritional industries. For that reason, it could not be understood that the corresponding associations and societies would criticise this way of acting. About this the following needs to be mentioned: Should the sales funds be degraded to a marketing in-strument of ecological policy, it will be impossible that the representatives of agriculture only stand and watch, without saying a word.
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