Switzerland is a good performer under the VACI (on par with Nigeria), due to its strict animal welfare laws and its low meat production.
Switzerland is a good performer under the VACI (on par with Nigeria), due to its strict animal welfare laws and its low meat production.
Switzerland slaughters around 8.5 land-based animals per person / year, which is the lowest amongst the European countries surveyed and lower than the global average of 9.7. The country’s dependency on farm animals is the second lowest of the European countries surveyed (second only to Sweden), with around 1.8 farm animals per person (compared with a global average of around 4). Factory farming is prevalent in pig and poultry production, although the country has prohibited the use of sow stalls, farrowing crates and battery cages.
The Swiss diet contains a relatively high proportion of animal products, with around 62.4% of the average person’s diet being made up of land-based animal protein (compared with a global average of 35.2%). This is the fifth highest level of consumption amongst the countries surveyed, and equates to each person consuming around 62.5g of land-based animal protein per day (compared with a global average of 26.7g). As at 2015, it was estimated that around 3% of the population identified as vegetarian.
Switzerland was given an “A” under the Animal Protection Index (API), and is also a good performer under the Sanctioning Cruelty category. The API noted that Switzerland had strong animal protection laws that are rigorously enforced at a Federal level. Learn more about the quality of Switzerland’s legislative protections on the API here.