MarkiT

Brand meat program for the integration of animal welfare

In the MarkiT project, a branded meat program is being developed for an animal-oriented primary production taking into account economic and social aspects. The goal of the interdisciplinary collaborative project is the fundamental improvement of the brand meat program, taking into account Tierwohl requirements beyond the existing statutory scope.

Piglet in stable | Source: countrypixel / fotolia.de

In a multi-step process, measures and criteria for the integration of animal welfare aspects into the production guidelines are defined. In order to ensure compliance with the new requirements, it is determined how the existing monitoring system and the consulting services can be expanded and a fair distribution of the costs and benefits of the branded meat program can be ensured. Proposals for the drafting of contracts will also be drawn up, taking into account the contributions and benefits of all parties involved.

At the end of the project period, at least ten pilot companies were to be converted in January 2018 or an annual production of approximately 30,000 carcasses should be carried out according to the new production guidelines. In the medium term, production for the program will be planned with approximately 100,000 carcasses annually.

Project partners

GIQS will coordinate the project, which has a funding volume of 1.4 million euros and in which the Abteilung Marketing für Lebensmittel und Agrarprodukte at the University of Göttingen, the Institut für Tierwissenschaften at the University of Bonn, the Vermarktungsgemeinschaft für Zucht- und Nutzvieh eG as well as the Fleischwerk EDEKA Nord GmbH. In addition, GIQS implements target group-oriented measures to disseminate the results and findings of the project.