The German Poultry Association, ZDG, is an umbrella organization for the entire German poultry industry, and represents the industry’s interests at the political and professional level as well as with other professional organizations, the public and other countries, both at national and EU level. It has been recognized as the sole representative of the German poultry industry across all sectors and enterprise sizes.
Its 8,000 members are organized into regional and national associations, and its management board comprises a president and 12 other members, elected for a term of three years. To reflect all the interests represented in the German Poultry Association, specialist divisions have been created, which are managed by the boards of the respective association.
The coordination of mutual interests is undertaken by the German Poultry Association in consultation with its partners in the poultry industry, both up and downstream.
Over and above striving to improve the competitiveness of the sector, the association says that it is committed to the development of a sustainable egg and poultry production, taking into account, animal, consumer and environmental protection. It is committed to the creation of a uniform regulatory framework within the European Union.
The German Poultry Association supports numerous research and experimental projects and collaborations, promotes the younger generation within the industry, and has its own trade publication.
The organization can trace its roots back to the late nineteenth century. In 1896, the German Poultry Breeders’ Club was formed – the first association for the industry – which became the VDW in the 1950s.
In 1967, the founding meeting of the present German Poultry Association took place. This was held with the aim of streamling the organization, its financial management and specialist know-how across the entire poultry industry. With the transformation of the VDW into the German Poultry Association, the association took on responsibility for unifying the affiliated national and regional associations within the poultry sector and ensuring cross functional and intercompany collaboration. This aim was fulfilled with the reorganization of the German Poultry Association in 1993.
For more information, go to: www.zdg-online.de
