Migros and the happy hens

How does the IP-Suisse standard benefit laying hens?

Moving around the pasture, scratching, pecking and hunting for worms means a better quality of life for chickens. That is why the hens can go out to pasture every day, where they have at least 2.5 square metres of meadow per hen, as well as sufficient shade and protection from birds of prey. This means that IP-Suisse producers must plant bushes and trees to provide shade. Another benefit is that when the weather is bad, the hens have a covered outdoor area with a dust bath in which they can roll around and clean their plumage. What’s more, IP-Suisse has adopted Migros’ strict animal welfare standards as the standard throughout Switzerland.

What does “climate-friendly production” mean? 

IP-Suisse has worked together with Agroscope to develop measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Producers implement such measures in order to achieve their climate targets. In addition, IP-Suisse-certified farms must make a contribution to biodiversity, such as creating rock piles so that small creatures or insects can find a new home. 

What types of eggs has Migros sold until now? 

Since 2020, Migros has been selling only free-range Swiss eggs. In other words, even before it started collaborating with IP-SUISSE, Migros’ guidelines were stricter than the statutory minimum requirements. Since 2022, Migros and IP-SUISSE have been going even further in promoting sustainable agriculture in Switzerland.

The majority of imported chicken eggs (M-Budget) temporarily come from barn-reared hens. Migros was also offering M-Budget eggs exclusively from free-range hens for a while, but due to availability bottlenecks, barn eggs are now back in the product range until further notice.