On September 25, Swiss citizens will vote on a ban on intensive livestock farming.
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Animal rights and animal welfare organisations have submitted a popular initiative to ban intensive livestock farming in Switzerland.
The initiative against intensive livestock farming is supported by Greenpeace, Bio Suisse, the Small Farmers' Association, the Swiss Animal Protection Society, Pro natura and the Greens.
The initiative against intensive animal husbandry demands the end of industrial animal production in Switzerland. It opens the way to a future-oriented agriculture.
As most Swiss farms prove every day, animal-friendly and resource-saving production is possible. However, a large portion of the animals live out their short lives in large, factory-like fattening operations. This is where initiative comes in.
Most farm animals spend most of their lives on concrete floors and have almost no opportunity to care for themselves. The initiative calls for all animals to be able to live according to their needs.
Only 12% of animals have regular access to the outdoors (SRPA program). The initiative requires daily access to the outdoors for all animals. This means abandoning selection for fast-growing breeds, which results in animals that can no longer move properly.
During their journey to the slaughterhouse, the animals are subjected to intense stress. They are then stunned with error-prone methods. The initiative calls for slaughter methods whose absolute priority is the absence of suffering.
A building can hold up to 27,000 chickens or 1,500 pigs. It is practically impossible to give individual care to the animals. Many die unnoticed. The initiative requires a strong reduction in the size of the groups.
Swiss farmers are in competition with foreign farms that do not care about animal welfare. The initiative requires imported products of animal origin to meet the new Swiss standards.
The government and parliament consider farm animals to be adequately protected under current legislation and are calling on voters to reject the initiative. ■