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More and more poultry is being eaten in Switzerland.
Switzerland is eating more and more chicken: in 2024, an average of 15.9 kilograms was consumed per capita - 73 percent more than in 2000. One record follows the next, and yet domestic production is not enough.
Pork is losing ground, beef is stagnating - and chicken is booming. This is shown in a report by Proviande, the industry organization of the Swiss meat industry. In 2024, Swiss people will eat an average of 15.9 kilograms of poultry meat per year - an increase of 73% compared to 2000.
In 2025, over 82 million chickens were reared and slaughtered for meat production - a new record. And yet, one in three chickens served in Switzerland comes from abroad - mainly from Brazil.
The change in consumer behavior is also reflected in the food service sector. At McDonald's Switzerland, chicken now accounts for a third of the burgers sold. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), which failed twice in Switzerland - in the 1980s and 2004 - has established itself permanently with 17 restaurants since 2017.
The American chain Popeyes has been operating six branches since 2020. And the Swiss concept "Crrsp" has opened four restaurants since 2024 - in Lausanne, Geneva and twice in Paris - serving between 1,600 and 1,800 meals a day, 90 percent of which are chicken-based.
The boom is also an opportunity for agriculture. Catherine Meister Schwager and Daniel Schwager run a dairy farm in Corcelles-le-Jorat VD and also started fattening chickens in 2014. In their 800 square meter barn, they keep between 15,000 and 18,000 chickens six times a year.
The economic advantage over dairy farming is obvious to Daniel Schwager, as they told RTS: "In milk production, the price is set and you try to make ends meet by optimizing production costs."
In chicken fattening, on the other hand, the price is calculated based on the actual production costs - including a guaranteed margin for the farmer. However, building permits and the sharp rise in construction costs for chicken coops are causing difficulties.
