German farming goes green

Ms Kuenast is expected to champion ecological farming

The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, has announced a significant shift in agriculture policy as a result of Mad Cow Disease, or BSE.

Mr Schroeder called for new priorities, based on consumer protection, accusing the German farm industry of focusing on profits at the expense of food safety.

It's high time we changed the course of agriculture... We want food safety through appropriate farming methods that are good for the environment.

Gerhard Schroeder

The appointment of Green politician Renate Kuenast to the agriculture ministry, which has been expanded to take on responsibility for a new food safety policy, is being seen as a move towards making German farming more ecological.

Mr Schroeder appointed new agriculture and health ministers after two cabinet members resigned in the wake of the BSE crisis.

Social Democrat Karl-Heinz Funke and the Greens' Andrea Fischer, quit the agriculture and health ministries respectively on Tuesday amid accusations of complacency over BSE.

The BBC correspondent in Berlin called Ms Kuenast's appointment a Green revolution and a radical step to regain consumer confidence.

Social Democrat Ulla Schmidt will head the health department, therefore keeping the balance of Social Democrat and Green ministers in the cabinet.

Consumer will be king

"From now on farm policy must be conceived from the shop counter," Chancellor Schroeder told Stern magazine.

Chancellor Schroeder welcomes Ulla Schmidt to the Health Ministry

But he warned the move away from Germany's traditionally heavily industrial farming methods would make food more expensive.

"Anyone who wants a guarantee that they have bought healthy, safety-tested meat from animals reared in a humane way must be prepared to pay for it," he said.

Public anger erupted after the discovery that Germany was not, after all, BSE free. Ten cases have been discovered since testing started last autumn.

"The BSE crisis has made it compellingly clear that we have to make several organisational, and not just personnel, changes," Mr Schroeder told a news conference.

He also said he would push to forge a co-ordinated farming policy at European level.

Change of style

Ms Kuenast is expected to be a radical change from her predecessor, Karl-Heinz Funke, who has been criticised for defending agro-industry interests.

New Agriculture Minister Renate Kuenast

Age: 45

Co-leader of Green Party since June

Former prison social worker

Trained as lawyer

Protege of Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer

The BBC's Rob Broomby in Berlin says the contrast between the 44-year-old Berlin social worker with spiky hair and the portly farmer Mr Funke could not be starker.

But Ms Kuenast has already met with criticism from farmers unions and the opposition for her inexperience.

"Your Sunday roast knows about as much about farm policy as Frau Kuenast," said Peter Carstensen, an opposition agriculture expert.

But she described her appointment as "an opportunity for the farmers, for the consumers and for the Greens".

Reshuffle ruled out

Neither of the two departing ministers admitted being sacked, but a prompt and terse statement from Mr Schroeder left little doubt that the chancellor had taken the initiative.

New Health Minister Ulla Schmidt

Age: 51

Eight years in parliament

Trained to teach children with learning difficulties

Oversaw Germany's pension reform

"I hope that by resigning I can contribute to an end of the revelations and help promote a return to business as usual," said departing health minister Andrea Fischer.

There has been speculation that the two resignations could spark a wider German cabinet reshuffle, but Mr Schroeder denied he had plans to move anyone else.

Some parts of the German media have been calling the situation a "government crisis", pointing out that the latest resignations mean seven out of 16 cabinet members have resigned since Mr Schroeder's administration took office in 1998.

Other ministers are still under pressure - including Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who has admitted involvement as a young radical left-winger in violent street protest.

But some analysts have described Mr Schroeder's handling of the resignations as successful damage limitation.