We support animal welfare – our animal welfare policy

Our stance

Transparent information

In addition to animal welfare, we take the environmental impact of animal raw materials seriously. We are aware of the link between climate protection and meat consumption. Using the M-Check Climate, Migros reports the CO2 footprint of its products. We are honest with our customers in this respect: meat is often given a poor climate rating, and Migros recommends consuming such products consciously and in smaller quantities.

In the “Chrut & Rüebli” podcast, we discuss animal welfare and sustainability topics in an appealing, but also critical manner. In this way, we encourage debate in society. Animal welfare and climate-friendly nutrition are also regularly addressed in our communication, for instance in the Migros magazine or on our social media channels.

Diversifying protein sources

We are actively promoting the development, production and sale of vegan meat substitutes. In doing so, we are indirectly promoting animal welfare through substitution. No animal has to be slaughtered for a vegan steak. By steadily expanding the V-Love range, we are creating innovative plant-based alternatives to meat, fish, egg and dairy products as well as snacks, confectionery and frozen products. We are assuming our responsibility to diversify protein sources.

Migros’ commitment to cultured meat is also pioneering. Here we collaborate with Aleph Farms to drive forward the development and launch of lab-grown meat.

Goals

Animal welfare is firmly enshrined in our sustainability strategy. The M-Check ratings introduced in 2021 and drawn up by independent institutes are an important goal-setting tool in this respect.

The M-Check on animal welfare is of particular relevance to our animal-based raw materials. It assesses animal welfare with regard to broilers, eggs (laying hens), turkeys, pigs, cattle, lamb, rabbits and horses, and since 2024 also ducks, geese and water buffalo, using differentiated assessment grids.

The criteria and assessments for the M-Check for animal welfare were defined by the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL. As part of this, restrictive cages, housing without enhanced facilities, mutilations of all kinds, hormonal or antibiotic performance enhancers, long-distance transportation and other non-species-specific practices result in a low rating for all types of animals.

For fish (farmed and wild), the overall assessment of a product in the “fish from responsible sources” M-Check developed by our partner Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) includes the animal-welfare aspects of fish-stock health, the bycatch rate and the fishing method.

In addition, we aim to maintain close partnerships with label organisations that guarantee additional services relating to animal welfare. For example, animals raised in line with the IP-Suisse standard are always kept with more space, bedding and the potential to move about, as are animals raised in accordance with Bio Suisse guidelines. Migros and its partners agree upon binding annual quantities, thereby laying the foundation for animal-friendly production.

On certain topics, Migros also promotes defined goals of its partners and integrates them into its own approach, e.g. phasing out the killing of chicks. Migros has included and promoted “Respeggt” eggs (with in-ovo-sexing) and Demeter eggs raised with fellow cocks in its product range since 2020. Migros also supports the Bio Suisse goal of banning chick-killing for Bio Suisse eggs from 2026 onwards.

Spheres of influence

We are fundamentally committed to the animal welfare of all animals that form the basis of our meat, fish, milk and egg products. Specifically, these are: cattle (meat, milk), pigs, sheep, goats, broiler chickens, turkeys, laying hens, rabbits, horses and fish and seafood.

Most meat, fish and egg products are produced at Micarna and dairy products at ELSA. Both are Migros’ own companies, which allows us to exert direct influence. Depending on the value chain, Migros and its industrial companies can exert varying degrees of influence.

Principles

What does animal welfare mean to us?

For us, animal welfare means that the animal raw materials for our meat, fish, dairy, egg and non-food products come from healthy animals kept in species-appropriate conditions and provided with adequate feed. Vertebrates and birds are slaughtered gently at the end of their lives after short transportation, and fish are caught gently and stunned if possible.

We base our activities on the internationally accepted animal-welfare concept known as the “Five provisions for promoting farm animal welfare”, a further development of the Five Freedoms concept. This demands not only good housing conditions, good health, good feed and the ability to engage in species-appropriate behaviour, but also positive mental experiences for farm animals.

Anchoring within the company

All purchasers of products of animal origin are obliged to include the Migros goals on animal welfare and sustainability in all decisions on the product range.

Thanks to the high proportion of products coming from our Migros Industrie companies Micarna and ELSA, we can fulfil the majority of our standards directly. In so doing, we try to source raw materials domestically as far as possible, because Switzerland has significantly higher animal-welfare standards than abroad.

Monitoring

All the strategic animal welfare and sustainability targets are part of a Group-wide annual controlling system. Progress is incorporated into Migros Group’s annual sustainability reports in line with the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In addition, Migros collects specific animal welfare KPIs.

In its own annual sustainability report, drawn up in accordance with the GRI standard, the Micarna Group details, amongst other things, the proportions of label-grade meat, fish and eggs in Swiss raw materials and imported goods.

The results of slaughterhouse audits by Swiss Animal Protection are published on the website of the STS inspection service. Micarna receives the highest rating (A) in these audits.