More than 80% of all laying hens in Switzerland spend all their lives inside and never range in the open, according to critics of factory farming.
Keystone/Sven Kaestner
Voters will have the final say on a people’s initiative aimed at outlawing large-scale livestock production in Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/ug
العربية
ar
الناخبون السويسريون يصوتون للحسم في حظر الإنتاج الحيواني على نطاق واسع
Campaigners on Tuesday submitted more than 100,000 signatures for their proposal forcing a nationwide ballot on the issue.
They argue that intensive animal farming is cruel and contributes to climate change, as well as hunger and water scarcity.
“Switzerland imports 1.2 million tonnes of animal feed every year to produce the necessary quantity of animal products,” said Vera Weber, president of the Franz Weber environmental foundation.
The allianceExternal link also criticised the conditions animals are held in intensive livestock farming.
“Fifty percent of all piglets raised in Switzerland are slaughtered without ever seeing the sky,” Meret Schneider of the animal rights think-tank Sentience Politics told the Swiss news agency, Keystone-SDA.
Parliament is due to discuss the initiative before the government sets a date for a nationwide vote on the issue.
The proposal is the latest in a series on Swiss agriculture. Last year, voters rejected an initiative to encourage farmers not to systematically de-horn their cows and goats.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Future of farming at risk, says farmers’ association president
This content was published on
Markus Ritter of the Swiss Farmers’ Association said on Monday that to meet agricultural demand, 43,000 working farms will still be needed by 2030.
Fewer Swiss farms and dairy cows, more egg-layers and goats
This content was published on
Last year 768 farmers in Switzerland called it quits, while others increased their livestock numbers and production of organic food.
Farmers slam think tank report on the future of Swiss agriculture
This content was published on
A report claiming that Swiss agricultural policy is too expensive and should be reformed, has been heavily criticised by the main farmers’ group.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.