Food and ethics: How German far-right defend their dietary ideology in times of climate change

This article examines how the German far right – specifically the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and die Heimat – instrumentalizes food politics to advance ideological narratives amid contemporary debates on climate change. While these parties present themselves as defenders of “ordinary people” against environmental “hysteria,” their rhetoric surrounding food, purity, and health reveals deep continuities with historical fascist thought. Through a qualitative analysis of Facebook posts, party documents, and far-right media, the study shows how concerns about pesticides, synthetic meat, insect-based foods, and halal/kosher practices are reframed as threats to the purity of the German nation and its soil. This food discourse is intertwined with broader themes of anti-elitism, climate denialism, ethnopluralism, and masculinist identity politics. Drawing on the historical precedent of Nazi dietary propaganda – which linked plant-based eating, bodily purity, and racial superiority – the article highlights how contemporary actors selectively adopt ecological language to legitimize xenophobic and exclusionary agendas. While die Heimat occasionally draws on a vegan tradition rooted in Aryan purity myths, the AfD emphasizes meat as a cultural asset tied to national identity and male strength, even as both parties claim to champion animal welfare. The study shows that far-right food politics function simultaneously as lifestyle guidance, coded extremist messaging, and a strategic tool for mainstream appeal. Ultimately, it argues that dietary discourse provides the far right with a subtle yet powerful means to normalize eco-fascist ideology under the guise of health, tradition, and environmental concern.