Animal Welfare And Meat-Eating On The Table For Swiss Voters

Date

9/24/2022 4:15:50 AM

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Birds of a feather: poultry would be particularly impacted by the proposal. Keystone / Ennio Leanza

Polls suggest a proposed ban on intensive animal farming will have a hard time convincing a majority of voters this weekend. Initial results are expected around midday on Sunday.

This content was published on September 24, 2022 - 10:00 September 24, 2022 - 10:00

Originally from Ireland, Domhnall worked in research and writing in a couple of European countries before joining swissinfo.ch in 2017. He covers direct democracy and Politics and is usually in Bern.

More from this author | English Department

Agriculture is back at the ballot box: after several Swiss votes in recent years related to farming – including a heated battle about pesticides last summer – this time citizens have their say on industrial farming, animal welfare, and how much meat is too much.

Campaigners behind the“factory farming” initiative, who collected 100,000 signatures to force a vote, have tabled four key demands: better conditions in barns and stables, regular outdoor access for all farm animals, more humane slaughtering, and – most controversially – a reduction in the maximum number of animals per stable.

This last point, while not affecting the bulk of small farms, could mean especially big changes for poultry farmers, who would only be allowed to keep 2,000 hens per building, rather than 27,000 currently. Some 3,300 farms would have to undertake renovations or reduce their animal count, the government estimated. It said the overall cost to farmers of implementing the new rules could run to CHF1.1 billion ($1.12 billion) per year.

MENAFN24092022000210011054ID1104917423

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.