Capitalizing on Camels in the Zurich Countryside

Swiss agriculture is traditionally viewed through a lens of generous federal protection and green pastures filled with dairy cattle. Yet in Oberglatt, a village near Zurich, a remarkably different model of livestock management has taken root over the last fifteen years. Kamel Ben Salem, who emigrated from southern Tunisia to Switzerland in the year 2000, has turned camel breeding into a sustainable private business that operates entirely outside the safety net of state agricultural subsidies.

After spending two years navigating various occupations in his adopted home, Ben Salem chose to build a business around his familial heritage. In Switzerland, however, camel farming offers no access to state financial aid, and local consumer demand for camel milk or meat remains negligible. To survive, the venture relies on market-driven diversification: a substantial 80 percent of income is generated through tourism and hosted events, while the remaining 20 percent comes from direct sales of camel milk and the occasional sale of a young calf.

This commercial agility was on display during the farm’s 15th annual Camel Festival, an event that transforms the Zurich suburb into an unlikely hub of international networking. The gathering drew visitors from across Africa and the Middle East, including high-ranking figures such as Saad Al-Omda, Vice President of the World Camel Sport Federation, who traveled from Saudi Arabia. A crew from Télévision Tunisienne, the national public broadcaster of Tunisia, was also present to report on their countryman’s European undertaking, framed against a backdrop of traditional Tunisian folklore dancing and jug acrobatics.

Predictably, the presence of desert animals on Swiss turf invites skepticism regarding animal welfare. Yet veterinary assessments suggest these doubts are largely unfounded. Wolfgang Zenker, a veterinarian at Knie’s Kinderzoo, points out that while camels are associated with dry terrains, they are not strictly dependent on scorching heat. Bactrian camels, in particular, are naturally adapted to severe cold, making the Swiss climate entirely manageable for the herd.

In an agricultural landscape heavily dependent on federal intervention, Ben Salem’s enterprise stands out as a study in pure market survival. Driven by personal conviction and commercial flexibility, his operation demonstrates that agricultural viability in Switzerland can occasionally exist without a public subsidy.

Written by Freya Stensrud freya.stensrud@alpineweekly.com