Initiative

Small farmers and alpine farms would not be affected by the changes, as they do not practice «factory farming». Only the large industrial «meat factories» would be affected.

The definition of factory farming is based on group size and systematic disregard for the basic needs of farm animals.

Animals are not objects and therefore deserve special attention because of their sensibility and their constitutionally recognized dignity. That is why the initiative does not demand a classical prohibition, but the animal’s «claim» to not having to live in conditions that do not take their needs into consideration.

It must also be ensured that processed products contain only ingredients that have been produced in accordance with the new constitutional text. Major distributors such as Coop and Migros are already working intensively to increase the use of free-range eggs and other organic ingredients in their finished products.

Yes, the initiative gives small farmers the chance to survive in the market and achieve fairer market prices by making large farms reduce their immense livestock numbers. In addition, farmers who already use little protein feed (soy) and increasingly rely on pasture farming will benefit. Factory farming leads to unrealistically low prices for animal products. The initiative will counteract this issue. The main beneficiaries would be small-scale and more sustainable farms.

Yes. A long transitional period is granted bcause many farms have to be converted.

The initiative is to be implemented in accordance with international law. The federal government will be given the necessary leeway. Import bans are WTO-compliant if the imported products contradict the «public morality» of a country. Switzerland’s long tradition of animal protection and the acceptance of this ballot initiative would prove that this condition is fulfilled. Import restrictions for products from factory farming are therefore realizable in accordance with international law. For practical implementation, the legislator can fall back on existing foreign animal protection standards and labels.

The farms would not have to close down, but would simply have to adapt to more animal-friendly conditions. In order to give them enough time to do so, a transition period of a maximum of 25 years is granted. The fact that one does not have to tolerate ethically reprehensible conditions has already been shown elsewhere. For example, the Swiss population has already taken measures for the welfare of animals when it banned the caging of chickens as well as the production of foie gras in Switzerland. With the long transition period, the hurdles when it comes to modernizing a farm are absolutely reasonable.

Since farms do not close, but only have to reduce the number of animals per area and ensure other conditions such as bedding and exercise areas, the number of jobs is hardly affected. It is even conceivable that additional jobs will be created, as fewer work processes would be fully automated.

The initiative text demands that the federal government issues regulations on the import of animals and animal products for nutritional purposes. Meat from factory farming should therefore no longer be imported into Switzerland once the initiative is accepted.

The image we associate with the identity of Switzerland contains peacefully grazing cows and happily pawing chickens. The farms that reflect this image are strengthened by the initiative. Our landscape benefits from pastures, small and alpine farms – it does not benefit from factory-scale concrete buildings without pasture land.