Zurich, February 28, 2022 – Today the National Council adopted a motion for an import ban on foie gras produced in a cruelty-free manner.
The international animal protection organization FOUR PAWS welcomes the decision of the National Council: Millions of geese and ducks suffer every year from the brutal force feeding, a procedure that has long been banned in Switzerland.

FOUR PAWS is now calling on the Council of States to follow the National Council and put an end to the import of this cruelty-free animal product.

With 119 votes to 61 and 0 abstentions, the National Council unequivocally accepted the motion for an import ban on foie gras and thus made its position on the cruel practice of foie gras clear.
We are delighted with this consistent decision.

The production of foie gras has been banned in Switzerland for 40 years, but not in France, Bulgaria or Hungary, for example.

Netherless: Almost 200 tons of foie gras are imported into Switzerland every year, making it one of the world’s largest importers of this product, which is considered a delicacy.

There, young geese and ducks are still being cruelly stuffed with food using metal tubes several times a day until their livers swell to ten times their normal size, which is associated with enormous pain.

We firmly hope that the Council of States will also agree to the import ban.

“The practice of force fattening used to produce foie gras violates Swiss animal welfare standards.
Banning animal cruelty in this country and importing it instead is hypocritical.
It’s time to end this double standard.
We are pleased that politicians have recognized this,” explains Livie Kundert, campaigner at FOUR PAWS Switzerland.

In reality, before being slaughtered at around three months of age, ducks suffer throughout their short lives. In their first weeks of life they are mutilated:
To avoid injury, their beak tips are burned off and their claws removed.
Their biological needs are completely ignored, they do not get access to a body of water.

They are then stuffed for two weeks, which means that twice a day, up to 1kg of maize mash is stuffed down their esophagus in three seconds.
This cruel procedure leads to injuries, most of which are fatal. The animals become obese, unable to breathe and move properly before they are finally slaughtered.

The motion submitted was supported by members of the National Council across party lines. Martina Munz, National Councilor, pointed out to FOUR PAWS the immense animal suffering in the production of foie gras:
“Foie gras is not a staple food, it is a luxury product that is cruel to animals, like snakeskin. Let’s put an end to suffering. Not only the production, but also the import should be prohibited.”

The Green National Councilor Meret Schneider was particularly bothered by the Swiss double standards: “Praising the local animal protection law and at the same time importing animal products is hypocritical and disadvantages our agriculture.”

FOUR PAWS is now calling on the Council of States to follow the National Council and advocate an import ban on foie gras. With this, Switzerland would make history and set an international example for higher animal welfare standards.

https://www.presseportal.ch/de/pm/100004691/100885721

https://www.facebook.com/SentienceCH/

And I mean…40 years of force fattening ban in Switzerland and yet the import is booming with 200 tons of foie gras import!!

A nationwide representative survey by FOUR PAWS revealed that 74% of the Swiss population oppose the cruelty to animals and are in favor of an import ban of such products.

Force-feeding is a particularly cruel form of animal cruelty. However, that doesn’t mean that animal husbandry without force-feeding isn’t cruel.
Animal products always mean exploitation, suffering and murder.

To put an end to this there must be an EU-wide ban on the production and sale of foie gras.

The European Parliament has declared in a new report that the production of foie gras meets animal welfare requirements, having called for a ban on force-feeding eigt months earlier as it is considered “cruel and unnecessary”.

They are proving once again whose interest MPs represent when, just eight months after the June 2021 resolution calling for a ban on foie gras production, they vote for a report endorsing this cruel practice!

We call on every consumer of animal products to stop participating in the exploitation of animals and to leave all animals off their plates

My best regards to all, Venus