The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Switzerland has ‘enough’ arable land

ARable land
Emanuel Ammon/AURA

There is enough good arable land available in Switzerland.

With 445,680 hectares, the minimum target is exceeded by almost two percent, as a national overview published for the first time shows. Nevertheless, the crop rotation areas (FFF) are under pressure.

These are the soils with the highest agricultural yield potential. They are intended to ensure self-sufficiency in severe shortages and are central to food security in Switzerland.

Switzerland must secure at least 438,460 hectares of crop rotation areas in accordance with the FFF sectoral plan. According to the first federal statistics, Switzerland meets the specified minimum area by 7,220 hectares, as the Federal Office for Spatial Development announced to the media in Bern on Tuesday. Accordingly, around 11% of the country’s area is now protected as FFF.

Nevertheless, according to the study, crop rotation areas are under pressure. Society’s need for space is increasing. This could become even worse in the future due to population and economic growth.

More
farm

More

Is 100% organic farming a revolution too far?

This content was published on Organic farming is widely touted as a green and sustainable solution. The experiences of Sri Lanka and Switzerland show the reality is complicated.

Read more: Is 100% organic farming a revolution too far?


Popular Stories

News

Pay rises planned for Swiss employees next year

More

Workplace

Swiss businesses plan employee pay raises in 2026

This content was published on Swiss companies' expectations for salary growth are down by 0.3 percentage points compared to a year ago, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Economic Research (KOF).

Read more: Swiss businesses plan employee pay raises in 2026
6,400 apprenticeships to be filled this autumn in Switzerland

More

Workplace

Over 6,000 apprenticeships remain unfilled in Switzerland

This content was published on By mid-August, which is the start of the Swiss school year, some 6,400 apprenticeship vacancies remain, mainly in the construction, catering and machinery industries.

Read more: Over 6,000 apprenticeships remain unfilled in Switzerland
Golden Leopard for Japanese film "Tabi to Hibi" at Locarno

More

Culture

Japanese film Tabi to Hibi wins Golden Leopard at Locarno

This content was published on The Japanese film Tabi to Hibi by director Sho Miyake won the Golden Leopard, the top prize in the international competition, on the final day of the Locarno Festival.

Read more: Japanese film Tabi to Hibi wins Golden Leopard at Locarno
5 megatonnes of emissions from 2050 despite net zero

More

Emissions reduction

Switzerland could produce up to 5Mt of emissions annually by 2050

This content was published on Two to five megatonnes of CO2 equivalents per year: this is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that Switzerland is still expected to produce annually in 2050, a new study shows.

Read more: Switzerland could produce up to 5Mt of emissions annually by 2050
Customs duties threaten 100,000 jobs in Switzerland

More

Global trade

US tariffs putting 100,000 jobs at risk in Switzerland

This content was published on US tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports will directly affect 100,000 jobs, mainly in the watchmaking, machinery, metals, and food industries, economiesuisse warns.

Read more: US tariffs putting 100,000 jobs at risk in Switzerland
Switzerland releases four million for Sudan

More

Foreign Affairs

Switzerland releases CHF4 million for Sudan

This content was published on Switzerland has released CHF4 million (nearly $5 million) to help Sudan, which has been severely affected by famine and cholera.

Read more: Switzerland releases CHF4 million for Sudan

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR