Swiss food initiative defeat leaves farming shift on agenda

Swiss voters have rejected an initiative to increase domestic food production, but a planned agricultural reform still aims to shift production from livestock farming towards crops. SRF reports that experts also see reducing food waste and eating more plant-based food as key steps.

The initiative would have required Switzerland to raise its self-sufficiency rate and promote plant-based food production. It was rejected by 72.5 percent of voters. The debate over how Switzerland should secure its future food supply continues.

The federal government’s proposed Agricultural Policy 2030+ aims to strengthen food security and give farmers more room to make business decisions. The plan would direct more farmland towards food for people: currently, animal feed is grown on 60 percent of arable land, a share the reform aims to reduce to 40 percent.

The proposal also includes linking direct payments more closely to results, reducing administrative work through digital tools, increasing milk subsidies and providing more support for sustainable technologies. The government plans to seek 13.81 billion francs for agriculture from 2030 to 2033. The consultation process runs until December 8, 2026.

Agricultural journalist Jürg Vollmer said reducing food waste was another important measure, but one that receives little attention because it involves consumers. He said the initiative’s target was too ambitious, but argued that Switzerland still needed to change its food system quickly.

Urs Niggli, president of the Institute for Agroecology and former long-time director of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, also called for less food waste and greater consumption of plant-based food. He said the referendum result showed how difficult it would be to change consumer eating habits.