Our strategy focuses on the following three pillars that help us to implement our mission and come closer to realizing our vision:

Our Strategy – the Three Pillars

The food sector

Companies in the food industry have a huge influence on how many farm animals are bred, raised, and slaughtered due to their high purchasing volumes. They also shape the overall production of meat, milk, eggs, and other animal products.

Our work contributes significantly to more and more companies raising their animal welfare standards and reducing the amount of animal products in their supply chains.

While we often collaborate constructively with the industry, not all companies are equally motivated. That is why we increasingly apply pressure through targeted campaigns to drive change.

The focus of our work with companies is on phasing out levels 1 and 2 of the German husbandry type label »Haltungsform«, getting more companies to join the Broiler Initiative, and advancing the Plant Potential program. We also finance the Aquaculture Welfare Standards Initiative. In addition, we use rankings like this one to inform the industry press and the public about how well – or poorly – individual companies perform compared to their competitors.

Politics

In recent years, there have repeatedly been political processes with the potential to achieve significant improvements for animals—but they have ultimately failed, sometimes by a narrow margin. Examples include:

• The implementation of the proposals for restructuring animal husbandry put forward by a commission of experts led by former Agriculture Minister, Jochen Borchert, which ultimately failed because successive federal governments (first the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), then the traffic light coalition) were unable to reach agreement on many details.
• The revision of European animal welfare legislation, which was first postponed indefinitely and later abandoned in response to the so-called »farmers' protests« – although these protests primarily focused on other issues.
• The revision of the German Animal Welfare Act, which had made considerable progress by 2024 but ultimately collapsed due to opposition from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the breakdown of the federal government.

We aim to contribute to ensure that future opportunities to improve animal welfare and transform animal agriculture will result in real progress for the animals.

Legal

Violations of animal welfare law are unfortunately part and parcel of the factory farming system. The right for NGOs to sue, which has been introduced in several federal states over the past few years, finally makes it possible to do something about this. We utilize this opportunity: In Berlin (where our headquarters are located) we have the legal standing to file lawsuits ourselvesn other federal states we provide organizations capable of bringing legal proceedings with our financial support and legal expertise.

Successful lawsuits lead to changes in farming practices and/or legal requirements for animal husbandry. In the latter case, our political work becomes especially important, as court rulings can be interpreted differently by policymakers. We advocate for the best possible implementation of these rulings in the interest of animal welfare.

Strategy – the basis

Engagement

Bringing about fundamental change requires many people pulling in the same direction. We offer a variety of opportunities – both online and offline – for interested and committed individuals to get involved. Those who want to get a first impression can sign up for our newsletter (in German) and/or the Vegan Taste Week to receive updates/calls to action and tips. Anyone who wants to do even more can support us with a donation and/or join one of our action groups.

Team & culture

Our team has the important task of implementing this strategy, while our culture provides the framework for how we work together.

Funding

Stable and diversified funding allows us to maintain our independence, pursue a long-term approach, and act strategically.

Good & simple structures

We ensure efficient processes for coordination and decision-making, paired with clear responsibilities. We complement this with modern, technology-driven workflows and a carefully chosen software setup to work productively and smoothly.