Agriculture
The Chicken Check: who leads and who lags?
Over the past month, Sentience has published four reports that examine how the country’s largest retailers – Migros, Coop, Aldi, and Lidl – measure up against the ECC. Today, we bring those findings together in a single ranking...
It is not a question of how, it is a question of when
Coop: the final retailer in our “Chicken Check”. Improvements, transparency, labels,... all of this sounds great. But how well does Coop’s practices align with the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), a scientific framework designed to reduce the...
Same Aldi, different standards across borders
After Migros and Lidl, Aldi steps into the spotlight. Does it live up to the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), the scientific framework designed to reduce the suffering of broiler chickens?...
Vague promises do not protect animals, transparency does
After examining Migros last week, Sentience is now turning the spotlight on Lidl to assess how well its practices align with the European Chicken Commitment (ECC), a scientific framework designed to reduce the suffering of broiler chickens...
Why Politics Must Extend Beyond Our Own Species
Why do our laws, institutions and policies still revolve mostly around one species – our own?
When Science Meets Policy: A Milestone for Animal Sentience
The LSE is launching a pioneering Centre for Animal Sentience, led by Prof. Jonathan Birch. At Sentience, we welcome this vital step—proof that science and policy must meet to put the concept of sentience at the heart of decision-making.
In 2025, we are letting the pigs out! 🐷
We are launching a new federal popular initiative demanding outdoor access for all animals in agriculture. This new initiative has the potential to shape the discourse in Switzerland for years to come.
Sonoma County’s Measure J: Echoes of Switzerland’s Factory Farming Vote
Recent animal welfare initiatives in Sonoma County, CA, and Switzerland highlight the resilience of grassroots efforts in challenging entrenched interests and promoting more ethical standards.
END preprogrammed suffering: together for Swiss broiler chickens
Coop, Migros, it is high time that we talk. Between the two of you, you are responsible for nearly 80% of meat sales in Switzerland. You therefore bear a critical responsibility for the alarming growth of the poultry industry. The number of...
Animal Welfare and Swiss Agricultural Policy: What Does the Population Think?
When the Swiss people are polled regarding the objectives of agricultural policy, a key concern consistently arises: animal welfare. What actions can we take in response to these findings?
We need a strong counterweight
The significant gains made by the agricultural lobby in the parliamentary elections of autumn 2023 pushed sustainable Swiss agriculture with location-adapted food production even further into the distant future.
Overcoming political polarisation
The majority of the population wants animals to be well cared for. However, the post-vote survey results revealed significant ideological divides that I had not expected.
A strong alliance for animals
In collaboration with organizations that supported the initiative to abolish factory farming last year, we devoted two days to exploring ways to enhance the well-being of animals in Swiss agriculture.
SDGs without food system reform are missing the elephant in the room
The link between farmed animal welfare and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is often overlooked. Many people are unwilling to accept that we need to treat ‘food animals’ differently if we want to address the climate crisis effectively.
We lost the vote, and factory farmed animals still need our help
Swiss voters have now decided the outcome of our flagship initiative to abolish factory farming, which was launched by Sentience in 2018. The incredible support of our partner organisations, network of volunteers and public figures made it possible…
