"Good Food for Germany” - the Federal Government's Food and Nutrition Strategy
We are making it easier to eat good food - a benefit for us and our planet. This is the goal of the Federal Government’s Food and Nutrition Strategy. In the coalition agreement, the SPD, the Green Party and the FDP agreed to adopt a Food and Nutrition Strategy, with a particular focus on children and young people. On 17 January 2024, the Cabinet adopted the "Good Food for Germany" Food and Nutrition Strategy submitted by Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
On behalf of the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) worked with representatives from the scientific community, the food industry, environmental conservation, consumer protection, the federal states, municipalities, and civil society to draft the Federal Government's Food and Nutrition Strategy. The Food and Nutrition Strategy lays down food policy goals and guidelines, defines fields of action and pools around 90 planned and existing food policy measures.
The Food and Nutrition Strategy builds on and develops other strategies and action plans (e.g. recommendations made by the Scientific Advisory Board on Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health Protection (WBAE) and the Commission on the Future of Agriculture (ZKL), and also the Strategy for Food Waste Reduction, the National Reduction and Innovation Strategy for Sugar, Fats and Salt in Convenience Foods and the IN FORM National Action Plan).
Key aspects of the Federal Government’s Food and Nutrition Strategy
With its Food and Nutrition Strategy, the Federal Government wants to make it easier for everyone in this country to eat good food.
Most people want good food. Good food means: Good for people, good for your health and good for the planet. And, of course, it has to taste good. But in everyday life, in the places people eat or buy their food, it is often not easy to choose good food. People who want good food should have this choice. However, they often do not have this choice, whether in schools, canteens or supermarkets. Many also feel poorly informed by the wealth of sometimes contradictory statements and information they receive about the various aspects of eating.
And this is something that affects everyone's health: More than one in ten people in Germany suffer from (type 2) diabetes. 14 per cent of all deaths in Germany are attributed to an unhealthy diet. And what harms people often harms the planet too. Good food benefits people and the planet alike because delicious, healthy and sustainable food is central to good health and well-being. And it also helps to protect our resources: the environment, biodiversity and climate.
Participatory process
The process for drafting the Food and Nutrition Strategy was participatory, transparent and – in line with the commitments made in the current coalition agreement – open-ended.
- On 17 January 2024, the Cabinet adopted the Federal Government’s Food and Nutrition Strategy – Good Food for Germany. The first measures of the Food and Nutrition Strategy are to be implemented by 2025.
- Interministerial coordination of the Food and Nutrition Strategy commenced on 10 November 2023.
- In eleven digital workshops held from January to late February 2023, measures in various subject areas were addressed and developed with the stakeholders. The concept paper “Pathway to the Federal Government’s Food and Nutrition Strategy” and the online survey, which all relevant stakeholders were invited to participate in, formed the basis for this. With 189 organisations taking part in the workshops, the participatory process met with a great response. The workshops' contributions and outcome were subsequently evaluated by the BMEL in order to be incorporated into the further internal drafting of this strategy.
- The "Citizens' Forum on the Federal Government’s Food and Nutrition Strategy" took place from 27.01.2023 to 29.01.2023. The event was organised as part of the Citizens’ Council on Sustainable Nutrition established by the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUV) as a result of the Cabinet decision on the Food and Nutrition Strategy's concept paper. Around 30 invited citizens attended the event, discussing all aspects of the concept paper and providing key suggestions for the further development of the Food and Nutrition Strategy.
- In December 2022, a broad-based survey of the stakeholders was conducted in the fields of action and measures, in which around 180 participants took part.
- The concept paper entitled “Pathway to the Federal Government’s Food and Nutrition Strategy” was adopted by the Cabinet on 21 December 2022. The concept paper outlines the framework and structure of the Food and Nutrition Strategy to be drawn up, sets out strategic priorities, fields of action and targets to be achieved therein, and, as appropriate, first specific measures by way of example.
- In cooperation with the Federal Centre for Food and Nutrition (BZfE), an event was held on 25 October 2022 to bridge the gap between the subject area "The future of food - more plant-based diets" addressed by the National Dialogue on the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) and the Food and Nutrition Strategy. This event attracted more than 160 participants, including from politics, administration, science, civil society, the food industry and associations. The participants engaged in a lively debate on plant-based diets and showed that eating healthily is possible in Germany.
- Kick-off event on 29 June 2022: 150 participants, including from the fields of administration, science, industry, consumer representation, environmental conservation and civil society, delivered vital input for the drafting of the concept paper and the Food and Nutrition Strategy. Click here to view the list of participating organisations and institutions.
