Animal Welfare in Swiss Milk Production

The promotion of animal welfare has gained importance worldwide, but how do the efforts of Swiss milk producers compare to those of our neighbours?

And how much animal welfare and animal health does the Swiss milk market want?

This year's annual Milk Forum of the Swiss Milk Producers SMP brought together representatives from milk production, milk processing, research and consumption to shed light on the topic of animal welfare and animal health in the context of the Swiss milk market. The discussion offered insights into the situation in Switzerland and in international comparison.

Animal Welfare in Switzerland Compared to Other Countries

Although Switzerland has historically had exemplary measures for promoting animal welfare and animal health, Switzerland today no longer differs so greatly from its neighbours in this respect, explained Luc Mirabito, project manager for "animal welfare" at the Institut de l'Élevage in Paris. The fundamental goals of animal husbandry — namely greater health and animal welfare for the animals — are the same worldwide: "Whether in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland or elsewhere — farmers share the same desire to continually develop, and although the paths to achieving these goals may differ depending on circumstances, the ultimate goal remains unchanged," said Luc Mirabito.

Regarding the emotional aspect, which is also of great importance for animal welfare, Switzerland still has the edge due to its structures, emphasised farmer Nicolas Berger: "We give our cows names and cultivate emotional bonds with the animals — this also promotes animal welfare, and I believe that Switzerland in this regard offers a higher level of animal welfare compared to some neighbouring countries, particularly those to the east."

How much does animal welfare cost?

Furthermore, it is obvious that efforts worldwide are aimed at greater animal welfare: “When animals are healthy and thriving, it boosts milk production and improves milk quality — it makes economic sense,” explained Nicolas Berger. He went on to argue that animal welfare therefore cannot be spoken of in terms of costs: “It is rather the rising structural costs and labour costs that pose challenges for farmers, and regulations, bureaucracy and restrictions also generate enormous costs, while contributing little to animal welfare.”

The additional discrepancy between consumer demands for the highest possible animal welfare standards and their actual purchasing behaviour creates further tension, added Babette Sigg Frank, President of the Swiss Consumer Forum. Food prices in Switzerland are historically low, with consumers spending only around 6 percent of their income on food: “We are aware that this stands in contrast to the efforts farmers make for animal welfare,” said Babette Sigg Frank. However, given rising costs in other areas of life, people often cut back where they have a choice and the greatest influence — on food.

To bridge this gap, both Nicolas Berger and Babette Sigg Frank emphasised the need for improved communication and information about the costs and efforts involved in producing high-quality, animal welfare-oriented food. “We need to communicate better about the services we provide and everything that goes into them — then consumers will also be willing to pay a somewhat higher price,” Nicolas Berger said with conviction.

Animal Welfare and Climate

The discussion also examined the question of whether promoting animal welfare conflicts with combating climate change. Luc Mirabito emphasised that it is important to find a balanced approach that takes both environmental protection and animal welfare into account: “For animal welfare reasons, cows should absolutely be able to graze outdoors — but from a climate protection perspective, the very opposite conclusion may well be justified.” Finding the right balance is a challenge that farmers and society must tackle together.

«What is good for animal welfare is often not necessarily good for the climate and vice versa,» Nicolas Berger pointed out. His barn, he said, is not optimal in terms of climate protection, but it is in terms of animal welfare: «Our barn is very open and emissions go directly into the air – from a climate perspective, the barn would need to be completely enclosed, which would greatly compromise animal welfare.» To protect the climate, he believes other areas such as traffic emissions must be addressed first. «But there are certainly approaches in agriculture as well for climate protection that do not have to compromise animal welfare,» the farmer added. He sees potential in breeding and dietary supplements to reduce emissions without jeopardizing the well-being of animals.

The Future of the Debate

In conclusion, participants reflected on the future development of the topic of animal welfare. Babette Sigg Frank warned of a bleak outlook in which animal welfare might be pushed into the background: «I fear that in five years our global framework will have fallen apart to such an extent that animal welfare will no longer be an issue at all, and we will be glad and grateful that we still have anything to eat.»

In contrast, Matthew Robin, CEO of the ELSA Group, believes that animal welfare will continue to play a role in the future, albeit in tension with the growing concerns of climate protection: «Animal welfare remains something fundamental for consumers, and the entire value chain will be obliged to find solutions – but I am convinced that the industry will find ways to maintain the balance between animal welfare and climate protection.»

The challenge for the industry is therefore to bridge the gap between the rising demands for animal welfare and low food prices by better informing the public about the efforts of farmers. At the same time, solutions must be found that do justice to both animal welfare and environmental protection in order to meet the challenges of the future.

You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose empathy on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan.