Swiss food initiative faces dead heat in first SRG poll

The Swiss food initiative is entering the campaign with support and opposition virtually level, according to the first SRG poll conducted by research institute GFS Bern and reported by SRF. Forty nine percent of eligible voters said they would probably or definitely reject the proposal, while 47 percent said they would probably or definitely approve it.

Taking the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points into account, the result amounts to a dead heat. Four percent of respondents remained undecided.

The initiative calls on Switzerland to pursue a self sufficiency rate of at least 70 percent. It would promote the production of fewer animal products and more plant based foods, which its supporters say would feed more people using the same amount of land.

Supported by environmental groups including the Clean Water for All association, the proposal would also seek to strengthen drinking water protection and preserve soil fertility and biodiversity. Its goals would have to be achieved within 10 years of approval. The Federal Council and Parliament recommend rejecting the initiative.

More than one third of eligible voters have not yet made up their minds. Sixty percent said they had already decided, with 27 percent definitely supporting the initiative and 33 percent definitely opposing it.

Expectations are more pessimistic. Among those intending to vote, 76 percent expect the initiative to be rejected and 24 percent expect it to pass. Respondents estimated the average share of yes votes at 42 percent.

Clear party and demographic divisions

Support is strongest among people aligned with the Greens. Eighty four percent said they would approve the initiative, including 61 percent who were certain to do so. Approval also outweighed rejection among supporters of the SP, at 64 percent, and the GLP, at 55 percent, although both parties officially recommend voting no. The Greens have decided to allow a free vote.

Opposition predominates among supporters of the centre right parties. Sixty nine percent of FDP supporters, 62 percent of SVP supporters and 58 percent of Centre supporters said they would reject the proposal.

Women are more likely than men to support the initiative, with 55 percent of women in favour compared with 39 percent of men. Support also declines with age, from 54 percent among people aged 18 to 39 to 42 percent among those over 65.

Lukas Golder, co director of GFS Bern, said environmental policy concerns had strong appeal among women. He said the initiative’s overall direction also received substantial support from people aligned with centre right parties and those without a party affiliation, particularly because of concerns about climate change and water pollution.

Eighty four percent of respondents agreed that climate change and pollution threaten water supplies and that national planning is needed to protect drinking and groundwater. Golder said the current hot summer was part of the debate.

Support falls when respondents consider the initiative’s specific requirements. Golder said people did not want rules governing what they eat. The demand to raise the net self sufficiency rate to 70 percent within 10 years was also criticised, with the timetable seen as highly ambitious or unrealistic.

Voters will decide on the initiative on September 27. The poll was conducted for SRG SSR by GFS Bern between August 3 and 16, with 17,212 eligible voters included in the analysis. Its statistical margin of error is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.