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 to bring the issue of factory farming to voters for the first time in any country.
The weeks leading up to the vote were non-stop for our team. In the final push, our campaign social media amassed over 11 million impressions, several television appearances and 50 articles specifically covering investigations into the living conditions on factory farms. Our alliance members also exposed the suffering of farmed animals in a series of graphic videos.
The vote took place on 25 September, and the results are in: 37,1% of Swiss voters agreed to permanently ban factory farming. We also secured a majority of 55.2% in the canton of Basel-Stadt.
It was not enough to win the vote. Yet, this result was not entirely unexpected, and there are many positives to focus on. Over a million Swiss voters supported our arguments. Since the start of 2022, over 1000 media articles discussed our stance for the betterment of animal welfare. We also reached an international audience: The campaign was reported on in The Guardian and Time Magazine, among others.
It has been quite a journey. We have paved the way for future campaigns and centred the interests of farm animals in the public discourse. We will now focus our efforts on keeping the pressure on, and finding new ways to influence consumer behaviour. For example, in 2023, we will be co-hosting an in-depth stakeholder process around accelerating the adoption of alternative protein in Swiss diets. We are also reviewing our partnerships with donors, and considering how we might work together to keep leading the dialogue on animal sentience in society.
We rely entirely on donations to keep pushing the agenda for animals. Did you know that, in the US, over 99% of all the animals we kill live on farms? But only about 0.8% of all funding for animals goes towards that group. Most donations go towards supporting shelters and other organisations that focus on companion animals.
The situation is unlikely to be very different in Switzerland. Farm animals need all the help they can get. The needed change requires efforts from many different groups in society, from charities to food scientists and policymakers. Sentience works to build a future in which animal suffering on this kind of scale is consigned to the history books.
Therefore, please consider making a donation today to support our vital efforts to help those animals who are usually left out of the broader discussion on animal welfare.
Author
Similar articles
Logbook : the life of an intensively farmed chicken
A broiler chicken’s weight increases 33 times over its short life. In Switzerland, nearly 80 million broiler chickens are slaughtered each year, 92% of which are raised in intensive aviculture. Their suffering is pre-programmed, encoded in their...
Actions, not words: Help us end preprogrammed suffering NOW!
8 percent of chickens ever see the light of day during their lives. Worse, 92 percent of all chickens belong to so-called “high-performance breeds”, where suffering is genetically preprogrammed. Coop and Migros have the power to stop this trend.
Let’s help the invisible residents of our cities
The standard approach to rat control involves the use of rodenticides, causing rats to suffer agonising muscular and joint pain before death. Join us in making a difference.
Keep the bees buzzing
Switzerland is home to more than 600 species of wild bees, and counts several billion honey bees. All these insects’ lives are threatened because of the use of pesticides. We must act now to preserve all bee species.
Out of sight, out of mind – why we need stricter rules for aquaculture
Aquaculture poses a massive threat to the welfare of fish. They are confined in basins under conditions that would be deemed unacceptable even in factory farming. Yet, their cognitive abilities often match or exceed those of other vertebrates.
Rethinking Pigeon Welfare in Urban Environments
200’000 to 300’000 pigeons live amongst us in Swiss cities. In the absence of an animal-friendly pigeon management concept, the number of birds has exploded in many cities. Their overpopulation is causing apprehension regarding public health.
The “invisible” animals need your help
Acknowledging the capacity for suffering as a crucial moral criterion is the core concern of Sentience. Therefore, we aim to give a voice to those animals whose well-being receives no attention in our society - the “invisible” animals.
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?
