Call for a ban of PMSG in Switzerland
Sign the petition to demand a legal ban on the use, production and import of PMSG in Switzerland
On blood farms in Iceland and South America, litres of blood are brutally taken from pregnant mares in order to extract the fertility hormone PMSG (Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin). The frightened animals are herded into narrow sheds and forcibly restrained so their blood can be extracted using thick cannulas. The mares are systematically subjected to cruelty.
PMSG is used worldwide in industrial animal breeding – especially in pig breeding – to ensure that all sows on a farm come into heat at the same time. PMSG is therefore used exclusively to increase efficiency in agriculture. The use of PMSG is also permitted in Switzerland, but the Schweizer Bauernverband (Swiss Farmers' Union; SBV) has banned the use of this hormone since 2022 under private law. However, this ban by the industry can be reversed at any time, for example due to changed market conditions.
We therefore call on Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, as head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), to ban the production, import and use of PMSG in Switzerland. This would mean that the ban would no longer be based on voluntary compliance by the industry, but would be enshrined in law.
Support our demand because...
... the production of PMSG in Iceland and South America is contrary to animal welfare. Up to ten litres of blood is taken from semi-wild, pregnant mares every week for two to three months. Sick and injured mares are left to fend for themselves, especially in Argentina and Uruguay. The foals are purely a by-product and waste product: in Iceland they are slaughtered, in South America they are aborted. A product obtained under such inhumane conditions should not be used in Switzerland.
... the use of PMSG causes suffering for mother sows and piglets. The hormone is usually used on healthy sows. The closely spaced births place an enormous strain on the mother sows. Even weak and exhausted animals are forced into heat by the use of the hormone PMSG. In addition, as a result of selective breeding and hormonal influence, more piglets are often born than the mother can feed. Surplus piglets starve or are killed.
... a legal ban on this cruel hormone is long overdue. The production and use of PMSG serve solely economic interests and pursue the goal of producing cheap pork on a massive scale. The voluntary ban by the industry in Switzerland is a good start. It applies to all livestock farms participating in the ‘QM-Schweizer Fleisch’ programme – this includes the vast majority of farms. In order to create legal certainty and a level playing field for all livestock farmers, a legal ban must follow. Switzerland sees itself as a pioneer in the field of animal welfare. A ban on PMSG would live up to this claim and send a clear signal to the outside world. The use of PMSG is neither necessary nor ethically justifiable, as its production and use are associated with significant animal welfare problems. A complete ban on PMSG in Switzerland is therefore necessary.