Due to its topography, not all of Switzerland is suited to arable farming. However, this also means that a lot of land can be used as a natural source of fodder for livestock farming. The fodder for farm animals consists mostly of fresh natural raw roughage.
Menu: Alpine herbs
Approximately 13% of the Swiss territory is made up of alpine farmland. These alpine or summer pastures are a prominent feature of the Swiss cultivated landscape and are characteristic for large areas of the Alps, their foothills and the Jura Mountains. This is where cattle, sheep, goats and horses spend their time grazing from spring to autumn.
Stringent feed controls
Only strictly regulated feed that is fit and proper for animal nutrition and also environmentally friendly can be used to feed animals. This feed is guaranteed non-GMO (has not been genetically modified) and must not under any circumstances contain meat and bone meal (MBM). Hormones, antibiotics or antimicrobial growth promoters have been prohibited in Switzerland since 1997.
The Federal Station for Research, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux (ALP), watches over compliance with these regulations. It carries out inspections, approves feedstuffs and prevents toxic or other undesired substances from contaminating the meat.
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