Factory farming kills the appetite

Barbecue season is in full swing, and some people are putting a tender piece of meat on the grill.

The conscious consumer naturally chooses Swiss meat, because animals are well looked after here. Or are they? Livestock numbers in the millions tell a different story. Animal welfare organisations are therefore supporting the initiative against factory farming and urging Swiss voters to cast a YES vote for the animals on 25 September.

Swiss people love pork on their plates. Whether sausage, chop or ribs – pork is the most consumed meat in our country. But how do pigs actually live in Switzerland? Up to ten pigs are kept in a space the size of a parking space. Only about half of all pigs have access to the outdoors, and even then often only on concrete flooring. A third of all pigs still have no bedding, as it is not required under animal welfare legislation. Intensive pig farming has so far paid little heed to the animals’ natural behaviors – quite the contrary: their natural needs are suppressed. They cannot move around sufficiently and are unable to express important basic needs such as grooming, exploratory behavior, and foraging in their sparse stalls. This causes the animals to suffer both physically and psychologically. 

Under natural conditions, pigs spend a great deal of time exploring their surroundings.

Pigs are clean animals – they would never defecate or urinate in their sleeping area. Since they cannot sweat, on hot days they enjoy bathing in mud to cool down. Pigs are also among the most intelligent animals and are highly capable of learning.

Yasmine Wenk, Campaigner at FOUR PAWS

Initiative against factory farming seeks new approaches

The example of pigs shows that Swiss animal welfare legislation is not sufficient to adequately account for animal wellbeing. In industrial animal production, there is a general lack of space, access to outdoor areas is absent, variety and opportunities for enrichment are not provided, and breeding for maximum performance is also highly problematic. The initiative against factory farming, which comes to a public vote on 25 September, demands an end to industrial animal production in Switzerland and guarantees an agriculture that places the welfare of animals, people, and the environment at its center. Farms that already today prioritise animal welfare in their production over purely economic interests will be strengthened by the initiative. Many farmers give their best every day and demonstrate that resource-efficient and animal-friendly production is possible — and that is precisely what this initiative aims to achieve for agriculture as a whole.

The initiative against factory farming is a step towards a sustainable agriculture in which animal welfare receives the attention it so urgently needs.