Swiss meat, the deadly difference

50,000 pigs emergency slaughtered

Last December, shortly before Christmas, Switzerland emergency slaughtered 50,000 pigs. Due to a lack of domestic demand, the meat was sold abroad at rock-bottom prices. At the same time, advertisements for Swiss meat promised high animal welfare standards and sustainability.

Yet nowhere in Europe do farmers inject their dairy cows with as many antibiotics into the udder as in Switzerland. In poultry and egg production, antibiotic use more than doubled from 2020 to 2021. Reserve antibiotics are even being deployed. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been declared the “greatest threat to the health of the Swiss population” by the Federal Expert Committee for Biological Safety.

50% imported feed concealed

The industry association Proviande conceals the excessive use of antibiotics in its advertising. Half of the feed for the 15 million livestock animals is based on imported feed. The public subsidises meat advertising with 6 million francs in taxpayer money annually. As a result, soils, forests and waterways are over-fertilised, and biodiversity and the climate are damaged.

Plant-based nutrition is booming

Already today, 63% of the Swiss population consciously eat fewer animal products. Agricultural policy must rethink its approach and invest more heavily in the booming plant-based market. More on the topic of environment and nature conservation and agriculture.

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