Swiss agriculture is set to receive a boost with the government announcing financial support to the sector of SFr13.67 billion ($15.2 billion) between 2014 and 2017.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The government said on Wednesday it would be packaged with structural changes that aimed to boost production, sustainability and competitivity.
Central to the changes is a system of direct payments designed to secure production supply and capacity, promote biodiversity, contribute to the quality of farmland and promote environmentally friendly farming practices.
Income from the agriculture sector as a result of the changes is expected to increase by SFr100 million in 2017 as a result of the changes, the government said in a statement. Farm income is expected to increase by ten per cent.
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.
Read more
More
Can “agro-ecology” feed the world?
This content was published on
The impact of oil prices on food and farming was one of the factors covered by both the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at media conferences in Geneva this week. As states attempt to address the recent food price spikes, Special Rapporteur Olivier…
This content was published on
While they found some advantages in terms of fungi and bacteria resistance, they identified few major differences between GM and conventional wheat in terms of their behaviour and effects on other organisms. Between 2008 and 2010, researchers planted and studied 14 varieties of GM wheat in Reckenholz near Zurich and in Pully near Lausanne. They…
This content was published on
That is how Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Swiss foreign minister, described the need to feed the nine to ten billion people projected to populate the planet by 2050. She was speaking during an annual development aid conference held in Basel that centred on the theme, “From seed in the soil to food on the plate: paths…
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have turned their attention to the problem, and are investigating the possibility of modifying the animals’ diet to stop them producing so much gas. The release of methane into the atmosphere is a major problem. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), farm animals are responsible for 18 per cent of…
This content was published on
Deep under the rocks, 50,000 cheeses are left to ripen for more than 300 days. Photographer Markus Bühler-Rasom went to investigate the making of this delicacy and took portraits of farmers, cheese-makers and the “cavemen” who are behind the classic recipes.
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.