STRATEGY ▶▶▶
heavily promoted in the advertising of major retailers. The fact that small farmers are generally more visible to consumers – as farm shops, farmers’ markets as well as through farm visits (all of which bring farm life closer to them) – also plays a role.
Most Swiss farms are relatively small scale. Add to that the chal- lenges of moun- tain farming and a higher cost price needs to be offset in retail.
range layers are among the main reasons why Swiss consum- ers’ prefer domestically-produced poultrymeat and eggs,” says Andreas Gloor of Aviforum. “The stocking density for broilers is low and animal-friendly housing systems are used. Generally, 92% of layers and 97% of broilers are kept in animal- friendly poultry houses with wintergardens.”
Knowledge Animal welfare is definitely an important factor in the pur- chasing decisions made by many Swiss consumers. According to Dr Gianna Lazzarini, heuristics play a significant role in pur- chasing behaviour. “It’s more a matter of assuming there is good animal welfare than necessarily knowing what the dif- ferences are between labels when it comes to animal welfare.” Research carried out in the late 1990s1
and in 20092 showed
that Swiss consumers do not know much about the differenc- es between organic food and food from other production sys- tems. Organic consumers only have a vague idea of the differ- ences between organic and non-organic products. There was little in-depth knowledge about the details of organic stand- ards but there was a general feeling of faith in the control sys- tem behind the standards, particularly when the study partici- pants thought that a label referred to a Swiss standard. “Just like most consumers in other countries, Swiss consumers don’t know the exact criteria but they have great faith in the Swiss certification bodies when they buy organic products,” Dr Lazzarini explains. Plus, their picture of idyllic Swiss farms with a few animals grazing in mountain pastures is reinforced and
Not self-sufficient
Domestic production provides for 64.5% of poultrymeat, 63% of eggs and egg products and 78.7% of shell eggs, leaving aside egg products consumed in Swit- zerland. “The share of domestically-produced poultrymeat and eggs is estimat- ed to be more in retail – around 80% – and less in the hospitality and food in- dustry,”says Andreas Gloor of Aviforum. Of all domestically-produced eggs 17% of those produced on Swiss soil are organic, as is 2% of all the poultrymeat. For comparison, 5.1% of the eggs produced in the United States are organic, while in the United Kingdom this is approximately 2%. Free range production accounts for 7.9% of all broilers (including 2% organic).
8 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 2, 2020
Support for domestic farmers Swiss consumers are inclined to support and protect their own farmers. “There is a general consensus that it is impor- tant to support our own farmers. If it were a free market Swiss farmers would not stand a chance, we are all aware of that. Of course they would somehow adapt to the market but this would probably change our whole agricultural system as we now know it. So in Switzerland it is considered to be right to buy locally-produced products and many Swiss consumers are willing to pay a higher price for them,” says Dr Lazzarini. “A mentality of ‘the cheaper, the better’ has never been a big is- sue in Swiss culture,” says Cornel Herrmann. “Low-price super- markets are still the underdogs in this country.” He also noted the small size of Swiss poultry farms as a reason why Swiss consum- ers pay a higher price. In Switzerland no more than 18,000 laying hens are permitted in free-range and barn farms. The maximum number permitted in organic farms is 4,000 laying hens. An initi- ative opposing intensive large-scale livestock farming will go to a nationwide vote in a few years. Herrmann describes the issue as ‘negatively tainted’, as many Swiss citizens think that large- scale farms do not suit Swiss culture. This will inevitably result in higher prices. The outcome of this initiative therefore remains unclear. “The Swiss consumer generally has more spending power, however. The average Swiss consumer spends only 6.4% of their gross income on food,” says Andreas Gloor.
Marketing campaigns An effective strategy in supporting the Swiss preference for local products is creating general awareness about the bene- fits of domestic production. Swiss meat and dairy products are promoted by both large retailers and private organisa- tions, such as the umbrella organisation of organic farmers, Bio Suisse, and other agricultural organisations. As a result the Swiss repeatedly see commercials that keep Swiss products in mind. In supermarkets, for example, imported eggs are al- ways placed on the lowest shelves, while organic and local- ly-produced products are positioned at eye level. “Also the packaging of Swiss eggs and meat products is much more ap- pealing and natural looking than the often basic, plastic pack- aging of imported eggs and meat. Imported eggs are mostly barn-laid. Imported eggs from caged hens must be appropri- ately labelled: ‘produced in caged systems prohibited in Swit- zerland’. Retailers, even the discounters that are not originally Swiss, have adapted to this and actively promote Swiss prod- ucts,” says Cornel Herrmann. The Swiss flag is used as an easily recognisable symbol on all agricultural products from Swiss soil. “That immediately increases trust, as the Swiss are by na- ture proud of their country.”
PHOTO: HENK RISWICK
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