According to the Swiss farmers union, 2015 was a bumper year for cheese consumption in Switzerland. The Swiss ate 21.49 kgs each, 260 grams more than in 2014. In total, 180,746 tonnes of cheese were eaten in 2015, 4,314 tonnes more than in 2014. Consumption of fromage frais, soft white cheeses like mozzarella and quark, a cheese […]
Archives for March 2016
How many planets would be needed if everyone lived like the Swiss?
Humans are eating up the earth faster than it can regenerate. And some of us are consuming much more than others. Luxembourgers, the biggest consumers, gobble up natural resources at nearly 40 times the speed of those in Eritrea, the lowest consumers, according to the Global Footprint Network. Adding up global human consumption shows we suck up more from the earth […]
Smoking – the big differences between Switzerland, Britain and the USA
Many anglophones new to Switzerland will have been struck by the high number of smokers. In fact the percentage of those who smoke is 68% higher than the United States. 28.2% of the Swiss population smoke, according to government figures for 2012. This compares to 19% of Brits and 16.8% of Americans. There are other big differences […]
Swiss watch exports to Hong Kong continue to decline but rise elsewhere
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports fell for an eighth consecutive month as shipments to Hong Kong extended a one-year rut caused by rich Chinese traveling to cheaper locations to buy expensive timepieces. Shipments slid 3.3 percent to 1.65 billion Swiss francs ($1.7 billion) in February, or by 7.9 percent adjusted for the […]
Swiss market down despite rise in world index
18 March 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to finish lower this week (-1.83%), underperforming the MSCI World (+1.03% ) as US stocks gained after the Federal Reserve scaled back expectations for the path of interest-rate increases on Wednesday. Stocks around the world gained mid-week […]
Could living in Zurich or Geneva be cheaper than New York City?
What makes one city more expensive than another? To a large extent surveys do. What you put in the cost of living basket can make all the difference and every survey has a different basket. The recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report places Singapore at the top and Hong Kong third. Another, based on price information contributed […]
Film: A perfect day – a droll look at the absurdity of war
A PERFECT DAY ***1/2 The multi-awarded Spanish director Fernando Leon de Aranoa – of such socially-conscious yet personal films as “Les Lundi au Soleil” and “Princesas” – has come up with another winner. This time he’s gone international, taking a droll, almost sarcastic look at the consequences and absurdity of war, somewhere in the Balkans […]
Some Geneva NGOs have committed to paying interns. Most haven’t.
This week 27 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Geneva pledged to pay their interns. After various campaigns pushing for change like the “Pay your interns” initiative, or the media stunt by New Zealand intern David Hyde, who camped on the shore of Lake Geneva to highlight the issue, NGOs in Geneva have heard these calls and are now […]
Switzerland ranked less happy in 2016. Does it matter?
The quest for happiness has been in the news a bit lately. Earlier this month Switzerland’s president recommended laughter in a televised speech to commemorate the Swiss day of the sick. On Sunday 20 March 2016, happiness is back on the agenda. This time in Rome where UN world happiness day celebrations will take place. Ahead of […]
On this day 200 years ago Geneva nearly doubled in size
A 19th century map of Geneva looks like an expanding puzzle. 200 years ago, on 16 March 1816, a big piece making up nearly 40 percent of present-day Geneva, was added. 19th century Geneva is marked by four important dates. The first is 31 December 1813, the date it gained independence from Napoleonic France. The second is 19 May 1815, […]