Friederike Schmitz

Animal ethicist Friederike Schmitz calls for a change in diet: The animal industry fuels the climate crisis, inflicts terrible suffering on animals and endangers our health. What ends up on our plates is a political matter, she says, because how we eat does not depend solely on individual consumption, but also on the general conditions. Animal products, for example, can only be bought so cheaply because the state has been supporting this industry for decades, she says. Why the food system as a whole needs to become fairer, more environmentally friendly and more socially responsible, and what measures can lead to this, will be discussed in the lecture.

Dr. Friederike Schmitz is a philosopher, author and a prominent voice in the German animal rights movement. She deals with the consequences of the animal industry and the alternatives. Her book Anders satt was published in 2022 and shows why a fundamental transformation of our food system is essential.