Would Swiss farmers heed to call to abolish factory farming as being sought for ?

Switzerland is noted for its high standards in dairy production, but it seems pressure is being mounted on the government to review its existing policy on factory farming in the coming days.

Factory farming is a common tradition in Switzerland and has been the best practice in the country for decades.

Factory farming is a practice in Switzerland, where livestock, particularly pigs and hen are housed without straying.

Photo by :Chris McCullough

Miss Meret Schneider, a 26 year old female advocate and Co-Managing Director of Sentience Politics, a think tank in Switzerland is fronting for the abolishing of factory farming in the country through a referendum.

One is required by law to collect 100,000 signatures to petition parliament and then instigate a vote proposing to change the law.

The move seems not to be workable for Sentience Politics, as large scale farmers in the country are not cooperating with the think tanks, but the think thank is currently working hand in hand with organic  farmers who don’t have such large scale of chicken or pigs

Addressing a score of international journalists at the just ended SWISS Press Tour in Schupftheim, Miss Meret is of the slant that, the factory farming is not the best way of rearing and keeping livestock and demand immediate end to it.

She said, factory farming poses a consequential threat to the environment in the form of Emission of greenhouse gas, Large-scale deforestation in the world’s most important hotspot of biodiversity and High consumption of water Contamination of water by the use of antibiotics.

Photo by :Chris McCullough

It is against this backdrop that, Meret is soliciting for signatures from farmers to support her call to end factory farming.

On the issue of health, she said, too much meat consumption has led to cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, mellitus, overweight among her country men and women and that we don’t require more of animal meat to feed our country.

The young advocate alleges that 50% of all pigs in Switzerland never see daylight a situation she describes as worrying and it violates the rights of animal welfare.

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