I've gotten used to the high meat prices in Switzerland, mainly because of the following reasons:

1. We eat now less meat than we used to, but we try to prepare it better.
2. The disposable income against meat price ratio is about the same here as in the EU (at least for me).
3. By buying Swiss meat, I believe that I am making an effort to maintain an animal friendly meat production industry and not the factory type farming like in the EU and US.

1. and 2. are a matter of just getting used to the price of meat here, but what about number 3? Am I just fooling myself? When I walk around here, I actually see animals outside and they seem happy. You hardly never see that in Finland anymore (and I do visit the countryside quite often as well). The animals are kept inside factories.

So are the swiss farm animals happier than their average EU comrades?

(The reason I am thinking about this is because of this:
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Pol.../1135232235980

If you follow the links, you will find some very graphical material. I am not in any way affiliated with this group.)

It is Sunday morning, I have a weak stomach at the moment so do not want to follow the links, thought I can imagine what is shown. I absolutely refuse to eat foreign meat by default, or any meat coming from mass animal farming, it's disgusting how these animals are treated (foie gras anyone?!). Once a week I buy a nice piece of bio meat and that's it for me. I think a lot of people would refuse to eat meat if they knew where it came from and how the animals were treated, but then again, the masses remain blissfully ignorant. If only more countries would follow in Switzerland's footsteps with regard to meat production.

We try to only eat bio meat. I know that it is a bit more expensive, but I think worth it. I didn't follow the links to the site suggested either. I know that the meat industry is nasty and don't need reminders.
I was vegetarian for 20 years and only began to eat meat again when I was pregnant. The doctor insisted due to my extremely low hb which didn't respond to iron tablets (I did have interestingly black poo though). I have tried to interest our daughter in eating less meat, but she is a confirmed carnivore - I don't think she has made the connection between sheep and what I make for her dinner. She did turn down the opportunity to try rabbit though Maybe she is smarter than I give her credit for

It is absolutely worth it, not just for the quality and taste but for the welfare of the animals. Try to get to know a farmer - I know that's difficult in the cities - over the last 6 months we have bought a goat, a lamb and a quarter of Dexter veal (these are half size cows - really interesting) from the farms around here. The animals all grew up free range in the fields around our house and had a wonderful life and a (relatively) stress free demise.

I am eating less meat now but higher quality and enjoying experimenting with more vegetable dishes.

Dexter veal? I saw some 'cows' up in the alps that had no udders and figured that they must be veal. Perhaps these are the same? If so, they lead a very pleasant, but short, life.

What about the standard swiss meat? Do the animals have it better in those "factories" than in the EU? I am trying to justify the higher price with the better living conditions...

Can't you tell, they are laughing all the way to the slaughter house.

They would be laughing all the way to the slaughterhouse if somebody gave them a lift there. The joke being that they would walk there of their own accord given the slightest chance.

We had a butcher in Shenfield who reared all the meat he sold . he had a huge farm (by British standards anyway) where he kept cows and pigs, sheep and chickens. His slaughterhouse was about 100 metres away and he would walk those for the chop down while giving them a treat on the way.
He didn't do that for the chickens by the way. That would be madness

I haven't eaten meat for about 15 years now so I'm contributing in my own way to the happiness of farm animals all over the world! :P

I really miss the growth hormones found in meat throughout the US - NOT.

If you compare CH farm animals to how they live in conrete (easy to wash) windowless units in some countries, then Swiss farm animals have it good. I also do not understand why anyone would buy eggs that are not from free ranging hens.

And not only that, but there's a provision for livestock to be rescued if the farmer is a patron of Rega

http://www.rega.ch/en/goenner/faq.aspx?pid=040108060000

No one's going to leave them languishing in a ravine.



e.

Close to a groan there. Thanks for the relevant comment.

I suppose us incisor-using meat eaters are now lumped in with abortionists and atheists...

Yep the ones that don't get slaughtered


Abortionists can do what they want with inside of their body. No one's business.

Atheists are highly evolved so being Atheist is definitely a positive trait.

Slaughtering and making animals suffer on the other hand is definitely a negative trait

....and blokes with dodgy mullets.

There is no such thing as animal friendly meat production industry. Yes some places might be slightly less cruel but how can anything be "animal friendly" if it results in the killing of the animal?

http://www.vegetarismus.ch/info/e25.htm

In your opinion.

My opinion + most importantly all three points are backed by factual real world evidence

I have been asking myself this same question actually. Are these animals better treated than the animals are in the US? I would be very interested in reading more about the practices here in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe.

I have just finished reading Michael Pollan's book: The Ominivore's Dilemma. It is a book written about the U.S.'s agribusiness/farming practices. If you are an American, I think there is no possible way you can read this book and not change the way you think about the food that you buy and eat. I suppose that even if you're not American, it is a fascinating book about the short-sighted perspectives that govern the way food is produced in the U.S. We're doing a fabulous job of destroying our land and water.

We'll be returning to the U.S. soon and I will be establishing a relationship with on of the local farms that has dedicated itself to humane practices. This way I can observe their methods and be the judge of whether I am comfortable eating the meat produced there.

No-one likes killing animals - but there's no other way to get the meat off.

Or is there .........