Swiss organic sector caught in hundreds of minor infractions
The Covid-19 pandemic boosted demand for organic products in Switzerland.
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Swiss authorities discover more than 2,600 rules violations in the organic sector every year, according to local media reports. This is equivalent to an average of just over two violations for every ten inspections.
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Farmers, food suppliers and retailers were responsible for these violations and irregularities, Le Matin Dimanche and the SonntagsZeitung newspapers reported on Sunday. The majority of the cases concerned minor violations, such as a filling out a form incorrectly.
Urs Brändli, head of the Swiss organic farmers’ organisation, Bio Suisse, puts the seriousness of the figures into perspective, arguing that “millions of organic products” are sold and that the regulations are “extremely strict”.
“Our guidelines alone are over 350 pages long. In comparison, the serious cases are relatively few,” the newspapers quoted him as saying.
The government and cantonal authorities have set a national target of one violation for every ten checks in 2018.
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Is 100% organic farming a revolution too far?
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Organic farming is widely touted as a green and sustainable solution. The experiences of Sri Lanka and Switzerland show the reality is complicated.
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