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The Reichsnährstand (RNST) was a government body set up in Nazi Germany to regulate food production.
Contents
Foundation
The Reichsnährstand was founded by the Reichsnahrstandsgesetz (decree) of 13 September 1933; it was led by R. Walther Darré.
Policies
The Reichsnährstand had legal authority over everyone involved in agricultural production and distribution. It attempted to interfere in the market for agricultural goods, using a complex system of orders, price controls, and prohibitions, through regional marketing associations.
The Reichsnährstand's argument that Germany "needed" an additional 7-8 million hectares of farmland, and that consolidation of existing farms would displace many existing farmers who would need to work new land, influenced Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union.