25% of Switzerland’s surface is farmed, a total of just over 1 million hectares. Much of the rest is mountains or forest. Of this roughly 1 million hectares, 142,000 hectares (13.5%) is farmed organically. The organic percentage varies hugely by canton and even more by region.
© Julia Sudnitskaya | Dreamstime.com
The canton with the least organic farming is Appenzell Innerrhoden (5.2%). The canton with the most is Graubunden (63%).
Other cantons in between include: Geneva (7.8%), Vaud (6.3%), Valais (18.6%), Bern (11.2%), Basel-City (27.0%) and Zurich (11.4%).
This map shows organic percentages by canton.
At the more granular district level the range widens. The district with the most organic farmland is Bernina (83%) in Graubunden, and the one with the least is Ouest Lausannois (0%) in Vaud. This map shows organic percentages by district.
Average farm size in Switzerland in 2016 was 20.1 hectares. Organic farms were on average larger at 22.4 hectares, while non-organic ones were on average 19.8 hectares.
What else can be gleaned from the data?
In general, enthusiasm for organic farming rises with topography. Mountainous Graubunden (63%) is far ahead of far flatter Fribourg (6.3%).
Different things grow at different altitudes. As altitude declines the labour-saving lure of agrochemicals rises.
More on this:
Organic farming statistics 2016 (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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