Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: Launching a petition to END preprogrammed suffering in broiler chickens in Switzerland, published by Zoe Newton on September 2, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
Sentience - famously known for its initiative to abolish factory farming - just launched a new petition targeting two major Swiss retailers, Coop and Migros.
Together, Coop and Migros hold a market share close to 80% in Switzerland. They bear a critical responsibility for the development of the poultry industry in the country.
The Swiss poultry industry in two key figures:
85 million farmed animals are slaughtered annually in Switzerland. In 2023, chickens accounted for 83 million of these animals.
92% of these chickens come from fast-growing breeds (which are genetically preprogrammed to suffer)
In practice, Sentience is asking retailers to:
1) Adopt slower-growing chicken breeds, which show greater health and welfare outcomes (and cease using fast-growing strains by 2026).
2) Stop promoting problematic products by the end of 2024, this includes advertising and campaigns for products from intensive chicken farming.
3) Provide transparent reporting on the selection of chicken breeds used. Sentience also calls for the development and publication of a strategy detailing how Coop and Migros' entire supply chains will meet the criteria of the European Chicken Commitment by 2026.
4) Establish regular exchanges with animal welfare organisations. This includes meetings for dialogue, as well as the implementation of a feedback mechanism through which these organisations can express their concerns about animal welfare practices.
On top of being a call to action, Sentience's petition is a strategic push to shift the Swiss poultry industry towards more ethical and sustainable practices. It is a high-leverage opportunity to have a significant impact for animal welfare. By targeting the two largest retailers in the country, we aim to leverage their influence to catalyse change across the entire supply chain.
Holding Coop and Migros accountable, as well as driving them to set new standards for the welfare of chickens, could reverberate far beyond Switzerland's borders.
Join Sentience in this vital campaign to reshape the future of poultry farming and, more broadly, the treatment of animals in our food systems.
You can find the petition here:
https://sentience.ch/en/project/end-preprogrammed-suffering/
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