Swiss Voters to Decide on Whether to Allow Factory Farming to Continue in ‘Milestone’ Moment

By Eoin Higgins | Common Dreams

Voters in Switzerland will soon have their say on whether or not the country continues to allow factory farming thanks to an initiative by animal rights campaigners that delivered that country's Parliament on Monday over 100,000 signatures to force a referendum on the matter.

“A milestone for the Swiss environmental and animal protection movement,” tweeted animal rights campaigner Philipp Ryf.

The campaign was the result of work by a broad coalition of groups, including Swiss animal rights group Sentience Politics, Greenpeace, the Franz Weber Foundation, and many others. The push for the referendum began in June of 2018, citing climate change and animal cruelty as motivating factors.

“Fifty percent of all piglets raised in Switzerland are slaughtered without ever seeing the sky,” said Sentience Politics' Meret Schneider.

On September 16, the campaign submitted more than enough signatures for the measure to appear on the upcoming ballot.

Campaigners celebrated on social media and shared pictures of the petition delivery.

Was für eine gelungene Einreichung! Danke an alle, die an unserer Einreichung teilgenommen haben und ganz besonders den Sammler*innen. Ohne euch wären wir heute nicht hier! Danke! ❤#massentierhaltungsinitiative pic.twitter.com/QCFgqA6uS9

— Sentience – Politik für Tiere (@sentience_ch) September 17, 2019

Heute wurde die Massentierhaltungsinitiative eingereicht. Verzichten wir auf #Massentierhaltung!
🐮Für glückliche Tiere
👨‍🌾für eine ökologische Landwirtschaft
🌍für Klima und Umwelt
👩‍⚕️für unsere Gesundheit! pic.twitter.com/jmxTWL4NEm

— GRÜNE Schweiz (@GrueneCH) September 17, 2019