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?
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.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
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.