This April, the government raised a few eyebrows when it announced that it was planning to phase out the practice of maintaining an emergency reserve of three months’ worth of coffee.
The Federal Office for National Economic SupplyExternal link (FONES) considered that coffee “was no longer a vital good” and that because of its low-calorie content it did not contribute to the daily energy intake required by a human being. The 16,500 tons of green or roasted coffee currently stored in the Alpine nation can therefore be sold if the project is definitively adopted.
The final decision was meant to be taken in November but has now been pushed back to January after the coffee industry backed keeping the reserve.
“This delay suggests the administration is planning a change of direction,” an official at reservesuisseExternal link, the organisation which helps manage the nation’s strategic food and grain reserves and which wants to preserve the coffee stockpile, told the Reuters news agency on Monday.
The role of the coffee industry is important as the responsibility of maintaining reserves rests largely with the private sector, not with the authorities. For example, an importer of coffee will be required by law to store some of it for emergency use. This avoids the need to build up large reserves in one place. In return, Switzerland finances the storage costs of companies through a reserve fund managed by the reservesuisse organisation. The cost of managing these minimum reserves is CHF14 ($13.70) per inhabitant per year.
More
More
Why Switzerland stockpiles for possible emergencies
This content was published on
Switzerland still stockpiles large quantities of food, medicines and oil. A look at the reasons, and what’s kept on reserve.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Does Switzerland produce half of all the food it needs?
This content was published on
So says the government as it tries to convince voters to reject a proposal calling for greater ethical standards in food production. Is it right?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.