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The focus of the “Arena” was the initiative against factory farming and an advertising ban for animal products. The proponents want to strengthen animal welfare, while the opponents warn of higher prices.
“If we as humans keep and eat animals, we are responsible for enabling them to live in accordance with animal welfare,” says Green National Councilor Meret Schneider. As a co-initiator of the initiative against factory farming, she wants to anchor the protection of animal dignity more firmly in the constitution and ban factory farming.
If the initiative is approved, all farms would have to meet at least the Bio Suisse requirements for animal husbandry. That would mean something that the maximum permissible stock levels would be reduced when keeping laying hens.
Farms not enthusiastic
Daniel Würgler, President of the Association of Swiss Egg Producers, would be directly affected by the initiative. Würgler has a farm with 18,000 laying hens. This is the maximum stock permitted today. With the initiative, two stalls with a maximum of 2000 animals each would be allowed per laying hen farm.
I invite everyone to form their own impression of our operations.
“We would have to build new buildings, which in turn would reduce the pasture,” explained Würgler in the “Arena”. There can be no talk of factory farming: “We take good care of our animals. I invite everyone to see our farms for themselves.”
Factory farming refers to animal husbandry in large industrial companies that systematically disregards animal welfare, counters Meret Schneider. These included, for example, high-performance and hybrid breeds. One problem is that broilers are replaced every year, even though they can live up to 14 years. “This is a massive chicken wear and tear. We don’t want to tolerate such conditions any longer.”
Greenpeace for an advertising ban
Mike Egger, on the other hand, is convinced that there is no factory farming in Switzerland. The SVP National Councilor and meat expert emphasizes that Switzerland has one of the strictest animal protection laws in the world. The systematic violation of animal welfare is already prohibited in Switzerland. Rather, the initiative is a “running the gauntlet against agriculture”. They want to ban meat altogether.
Sustainable change requires interaction between production, trade and consumption.
Criticism of the current system came in the “Arena” from Alexandra Gavilano, project manager at Greenpeace Switzerland. She primarily denounces the advertising of animal products. “There are many commercials that use manipulative techniques to justify eating meat, for example.”
In view of the climate crisis, this is not sustainable. Greenpeace is therefore demanding that retailers and interest groups are no longer allowed to advertise animal products in the future.
Promote the advantages of Swiss products
“An advertising ban would not be the right way,” said Priska Wismer-Felder, National Councilor Die Mitte. It is important that advertising can be used to highlight the differences between domestic and foreign production.
The farmer from the canton of Lucerne emphasized that a sustainable change requires interaction between production, trade and consumption. “Above all, I see the consumer as having a duty. The farmers produce what the consumer demands.”
The guests in the “Arena” agree that a more conscious consumption of animal products such as meat is desirable. On the other hand, there are big differences of opinion when it comes to a possible advertising ban or the initiative against factory farming. Swiss voters will decide on the latter on September 25th.