The regional REWE meat programme "Landbauern Schwein" has received the "Fair Partner 2022" award. With this award, the trade magazines "Lebensmittelpraxis" and "Top Agrar" recognise exemplary projects for fair trade relations.
Plenty of space and daylight in the barn
Winning in the "Meat & Sausage" category is an independent confirmation for the REWE Southwest region of the partnership between farmers, producers and retailers with the common goal of producing more sustainable food. The overall concept is characterised by animals bred specifically for REWE that produce high-quality meat, animal welfare-friendly housing in accordance with husbandry system 3 (HF 3), GMO-free feeding, exclusively regional fattening, slaughtering and processing as well as sustainable whole animal marketing. It places high demands on the farmers and the production company. REWE honours these with higher purchase prices and contracts that are binding for years.
"The secret of our success is the constant, personal exchange between all those involved in the Landbauern-Schweinefleisch programme. We also find solutions at short notice, be it for marketing or pricing. Commitment is an important asset so that our partners can plan for the long term. From 2030, REWE only wants to offer meat from rearing systems 3 and 4. We have laid the foundation for this in our region with the Landbauern programme."
Rudolf Müller, CM Service, REWE Südwest
The "Landbauern Schwein" programme is backed by four agricultural businesses, in particular Hofgut Bronnacker from Rosenberg in the Neckar-Odenwald district, the butcher and catering cooperative Mega Fleisch from Stuttgart as a production company and REWE Südwest. What began as a test at 13 service counters in the greater Stuttgart area in 2020 is now - two years later - an important component of the product range. The "Landbauern Schwein" can be found at the counters in over 70 stores and in the chiller cabinets in over 80 stores. Since 2022, there has also been "Landbauern Rind und Kalb aus dem Haus Qualivo (HF 3 & 4)" and "Landbauern Hähnchen (HF 3)".
Play material is a must for the curious animals
"The 'Fair Partner 2022' award is a great honour for our region and confirms that we are on the right track with the Landbauern meat programme. Despite ongoing inflation and the current high price sensitivity of our customers, we are investing in the future today. And that means high-quality meat produced in an animal-friendly way and safeguarding family farms in the region."
Henning Opper, Chairman of the Management of REWE Südwest
"What I particularly liked about the project was the hedging during the low-price phase, which we now have behind us. We also worked with price floors here. As an economist, that was a crucial point for me. The utilisation of whole animals ('nose to tail') was also solved well. We know from the large abattoirs that they can only place 50 to 60 per cent of the meat from the pig sector in Germany. However, we cannot establish sustainable production here in Germany in the long term."
Albert Hortmann-Scholten, Head of Business Administration and Markets at the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture in Oldenburg and member of the "Fair Partner" expert jury
"We were able to help shape the programme right from the start and were asked for our opinion. To this day, communication between us farmers and all those involved is good. And the greater effort involved in producing in accordance with husbandry system 3 and the fulfilment of other quality requirements is recognised through the premiums in the payment. It can go on like this."
Annika Thier, farmer from Hofgut Bronnacker and main supplier in the Landbauern pork programme
