The restaurant sector, the food processing industry and farmers organisations have been asked to agree on a series of voluntary measures to reduce the amount of discarded food, according to the environment ministry.
The plan, announced by the ministryExternal link on Wednesday, includes extending the shelf life of products, improving packaging as well as better planning of cultivation and increasing food donations to welfare organisations.
The government is due to re-evaluate the plan in 2025 to see whether additional measures are needed to reach the reduction goal by 2030.
Nearly a third of the food produced for consumers is wasted or thrown away unnecessarily, according to the ministry statement. This is the equivalent of about 330kg of waste per capita per year.
Food waste pollutes the environment and also leads to economic consequences, the statement adds.
The government said existing programmes have only had limited impact.
More
Debate
Hosted by:
Philipp Meier
How can we reduce food waste?
One third of all food worldwide is thrown away. What can we do?
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
Geneva, which is facing several days of very hot weather, has raised its level of vigilance with regard to the risk of forest fires and is issuing an appeal for caution.
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
This content was published on
Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
This content was published on
Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
This content was published on
To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
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
Fighting food waste with your eyes, nose and tongue
This content was published on
Two-thirds of the food thrown away in Switzerland could have been eaten. A new label on foodstuffs wants consumers to be much more discerning.
This content was published on
The foundation collected 3,820 tonnes of food that was not for sale but still in perfect condition – a 5.6% increase relative to 2018. That surplus food was delivered free of charge to around 500 social institutions and food distribution points. In total, the quantity of goods corresponded to over eight million meals for people…
This content was published on
A start-up is planning to set up the first bio-waste treatment plant in Switzerland, in which a few hundred million flies will be put to work.
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.