Foie Gras Imports Under Scrutiny

The counter-proposal from the parliament aims to anchor the declaration requirement at the legislative level instead of merely at the regulatory level, as this provides more legal certainty. It is also planned to accompany the declaration requirement with monitoring. If a significant reduction in import quantities is not achieved within five years, further measures up to an import ban should follow. The aforementioned animal welfare organisations expressly welcome the introduction of monitoring but demand clear, transparent criteria and annual reports to the Federal Council.

Lauretta Eckhardt, Policy Manager at VIER PFOTEN Switzerland, says, 'The monitoring must show whether an observed reduction in import quantity is actually due to the imposed declaration requirement or merely the result of random external factors such as market fluctuations or health policy measures, for example in connection with avian influenza.' Only in this way can the effectiveness be checked and any further measures be taken quickly to effectively implement the desired import reduction.

Possible measures vary in their suitability from an animal welfare perspective:

Yes to more information and transparency

Informational campaigns and additional labelling requirements, such as images of the force-feeding process, can raise awareness among consumers and promote conscious purchasing decisions.

No to ineffective labels

Import restrictions on specific labels like 'Label Rouge' or 'Canard à Foie Gras du Sud-Ouest' are counterproductive. These labels are not animal welfare labels; on the contrary, they sometimes worsen the housing conditions and prolong the fattening period. Time restrictions on imports (e.g., only on holidays) are practically ineffective and would merely lead to bundled imports.

The animal welfare organisations agree: 'The proposed measures represent a pragmatic step as long as Switzerland does not implement a fundamentally sensible and appropriate import ban. The counter-proposal serves the goal of reducing imports while simultaneously evaluating the effectiveness of the instruments.'

Conclusion: If it turns out that the declaration requirement and the associated measures do not have a substantial effect, a ban on importing 'foie gras' must be considered. Only in this way can the overarching goal – the consistent reduction of animal suffering through force-feeding – be effectively achieved.

Media Contact:
Oliver Loga
Press Manager Switzerland
VIER PFOTEN – Foundation for Animal Protection
Altstetterstrasse 124
8048 Zurich
Tel. +41 43 311 80 90
presse@vier-pfoten.ch
www.vier-pfoten.ch

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher.