Germany's Netto Marken-Discount has pledged to purchase its fresh and marinated self-service pork and poultry exclusively from farms with higher animal husbandry levels by the end of September 2021.
Currently, the discounter is converting its own-brand Gut Ponholz pork products to husbandry level 2. It hopes to complete the process by the end of September.
Level 2 products are also offered for promotional goods, depending on the availability, the retailer added.
Higher animal welfare standards ensure that animals have more space and access to activity, among others.
The retailer aims to increase the proportion of goods from farms with animal husbandry levels 3 and 4, including its organic range.
Netto Marken-Discount is also increasing the range of processed meat and sausage products from higher husbandry levels.
The initiative is part of the retailer's ecological and social responsibility strategy.
'Commitment To Animal Welfare'
Christina Stylianou, head of corporate communications at Netto Marken-Discount, said, "We see our commitment to animal welfare as a continuous process that encompasses the entire value chain.
"With the further conversion to higher levels of husbandry in our own brand range, we are taking the next, consistent step and offering customers a more sustainable shopping option."
The discounter relies on transparency and its own-brand packaging in the fresh meat sector – chicken, turkey, beef and pork – feature the voluntary 'husbandry' label.
The type 1 label stands for the entry-level requirements and corresponds to the legal standards.
Type 2 demonstrably offers more space and other animal welfare measures such as activity material, while type 3 is assigned to products from farms that provide animals access to an outdoor climate area.
Netto Marken-Discount also welcomed the fact that more and more agricultural producers are implementing stricter animal welfare measures.
In June of this year, the retailer introduced a sustainability compass, which it claims is a first among food discounters in Germany.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Supply Chain news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
