Swiss agriculture could, in theory, feed the entire population without imports. That is the counter-intuitive conclusion of a new study by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the ETH Zurich and the consultancy O+L GmbH. The research, published in Swiss Agricultural Research, models a scenario in which domestic production alone would suffice.
In terms of self-sufficiency, Switzerland currently produces only about half of the food it consumes, meaning around 40–50 % of food consumed domestically is imported.
The finding of the study rests on the resource-intensiveness of livestock production. Meat and dairy need far more land, feed and energy than crops grown directly for human consumption. The study asks a question rarely addressed in Swiss policy debates—how land might be used primarily to feed people rather than animals.
At the heart of the analysis lies a trade-off between plant production for direct consumption and production routed through livestock. Today, a substantial share of Switzerland’s arable land is devoted to growing animal feed, particularly for cattle and poultry. Eliminating that use, the researchers argue, would free enough land to supply the population’s caloric needs.
The cost would be dietary change. Feeding the country without imports would require significantly lower consumption of meat and dairy products. Grass-based cattle farming is not challenged: Switzerland’s extensive pastures are well suited to grazing, and ruminants still have a role. What the study questions instead is the logic of using high-quality arable land to grow fodder crops.
The researchers also take aim at agricultural policy. The current system of direct payments and border protection, they argue, favours animal production over plant-based food. The study stops short of prescribing reforms, but presents evidence intended to inform future policy choices rather than dictate them.
A shift in production and diets, the authors note, would bring side benefits. Expanding cereals and legumes for human consumption could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and improve biodiversity—and some of these changes could be implemented relatively quickly.
In addition, there is a substantial body of research on the health advantages of diets high in plant foods. Peer-reviewed studies and reviews consistently find that eating more plant-based foods is associated with a range of health benefits, especially when the emphasis is on whole, minimally processed plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Whether consumers and politicians would accept the necessary trade-offs is another matter.
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