For high standards of animal welfare

Improving animal welfare

As a food retailer, produce from livestock farming is essential. When it comes to animal products, such as meat, eggs and dairy produce, the REWE Group takes its responsibility to promote and be involved in the development of high animal welfare standards very seriously.

We are involved in a wide range of initiatives to raise animal welfare standards and have formulated clear requirements for the sustainable production of products of animal origin. Through close cooperation with scientists, NGOs and business partners, we have already improved industry-wide animal welfare standards.

We stop chick culling.

Our Seleggt technology has enabled us to sell more than 2,7 billion eggs without chick culling since 2016.

Our goals

Fresh meat from the meat counter at REWE:

Achieved in 2021: 50 percent of fresh meat will meet a minimum husbandry system standard of level 2

Private label fresh meat products (beef, pork and poultry) available in the self-service range and from the meat counter at REWE and PENNY in Germany:

By the end of 2025, 100 percent of private label fresh meat products will meet a minimum husbandry system standard of level 2
By the end of 2030, 100 percent of private label fresh meat products will meet a minimum husbandry system standard of level 3 or 4

Fresh chicken meat products available in the self-service range and from the meat counter at REWE and PENNY in Germany:

By the end of 2023, we will have doubled the number of fresh chicken meat products with a husbandry system standard of level 3 or 4
By the end of 2026, at least 20 percent of fresh chicken meat products will meet a husbandry system standard of level 3 or 4

Sausages and cold cuts* (beef, pork and poultry) available in the self-service range of REWE and PENNY PENNY private-label products in Germany:

By the end of 2025, 100 percent of sausages and cold cuts will meet a husbandry system standard of level 2 (*including processed meat products that are frozen, preserved and convenience containing more than 50 percent meat)

Fresh milk of REWE and PENNY private-label products in Germany:

By the end of 2025, 100 percent of drinking milk will meet a husbandry system standard of at least level 2
By the end of 2030, 100 percent of drinking milk will meet a husbandry system standard of at least level 3

100 percent of eggs from hens with untrimmed beaks

REWE and PENNY’s German stores have not sold conventional private label eggs from hens with trimmed beaks since September 2017.

Regional programmes

In our many regional programmes throughout Germany, we promote regional structures and raise animal welfare through improved farming systems and shorter transportation routes. For instance, the Strohwohl brand, offered by the REWE sales line, sells pork from North Rhine Westphalia which has been raised under enhanced housing conditions, primarily with straw bedding.

Initiative Tierwohl (Animal Welfare Initiative)

As founding members, we are leading the development of the Animal Welfare Initiative and are committed to improving industry-wide animal welfare standards.

Chicken and turkey

100 percent of the private label fresh chicken and turkey sold at REWE and PENNY in Germany is PRO PLANET certified and meets a minimum husbandry system standard of level 2.

Technology to prevent the culling of male chicks

SELEGGT GmbH was founded in 2017 as a joint venture with the HatchTech Group, in cooperation with the University of Leipzig. Their goal was to develop a practical in-egg sexing procedure and bring it to the market.

Rearing male chicks

Spitz & Bube eggs, which come from farms where beaks are left untrimmed and male chicks are reared, have been sold by REWE since 2016. In 2017, PENNY became the first discounter in Germany to follow suit. Their HERZBUBE brand, which is sold throughout its stores in Germany, offers fresh eggs laid by hens with untrimmed beaks and produced without the culling of male chicks.

Guideline on animal welfare

To guideline

Guideline on fish and seafood

To guideline

Strategic position

In our guidelines for greater animal welfare, we define a mandatory operational framework for humane farming practices, the production of animal products and overall animal welfare standards for REWE and PENNY in Germany. DERTOUR Group’s animal welfare policy includes our objectives for animal welfare within the tourism sector.

At the REWE Group, we began reviewing and realigning our strategy for animal welfare standards in livestock production in 2020, with the aim of integrating higher standards of animal welfare throughout the supply chains. We are following a four-stage process which serves to identify fundamental impacts on animal welfare and implement appropriate programmes of improvement throughout product supply chains.

To management approach in our sustainability report

Commitments and projects

Our Commitments and projects

Our strategy for greater sustainability