Swiss residents voted against the ban on factory farming, as animal welfare organisations admit 'the struggle continues'
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Switzerland has rejected a proposal to ban factory farming, following an online petition exceeding 100,000 signatures.
Residents were given the opportunity last week to vote on an initiative to ‘make protecting the dignity of farm animals such as cattle, chickens or pigs a constitutional requirement’.
This would have included stricter minimum requirements for animal-friendly housing and care, access to the outdoors, slaughtering practices and the maximum group size per pen.
These requirements would have also been applied to animal products imported into the country.
Switzerland’s voting results
However, data from the government’s VoteInfo App shows that 62.9 percent of those who voted were against the ban.
Reports suggests that the government warning such a proposal could increase food prices and breach trade accords could have played a part in the result.
Geneva resident Florian Barbon, who opposed the initiative, said: “I think in general, people are regulating themselves on their own.
“I don’t think we need a legal framework for this.”
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‘The struggle continues’
Sentience Politics, who kickstarted the initiative to scrap factory farming in Switzerland, responded to the result on Instagram.
“Yes, we have the right to be disappointed,” the organisation said.
“But, we are also proud to have been able to reach millions of people in Switzerland and abroad thanks to our campaign, which brought together associations for the defence of animal rights, environmental protection and agriculture.
“Since the launch of the initiative in 2018, we have seen that animal welfare is close to the heart of many Swiss people. The struggle continues. We will continue to bring the interests of animals to the heart of society.”
Want to know more about animal welfare in the UK? Check out our in-depth guide to factory farming
Featured image: Fabrice Coffrini via Getty Images
