On 13 June 2021, Swiss voters will decide on whether to accept a government plan to raise taxes on certain high emission activities, which include additional taxes on heating oil, flights and petrol and diesel for road use. The aim of the revised law is to change behaviour and reduce Switzerland’s emissions. The amount that […]
Switzerland’s underground tunnel project gets green light from upper house
On 1 June 2021, a project to build an underground freight tunnel network stretching from Geneva to St Gallen, gained almost unanimous support in the Council of States, Switzerland upper house. The project, which was launched in 2013 by private investors, won favour with 39 members of the Council of States with 1 abstention. In […]
Swiss pesticide votes – pesticides, antibiotics, gut bacteria, hormones and disease
As we move through time scientific research improves our understanding of the world. The resulting revelations often point to changes that could lead to progress. However, these changes are rarely painless. Shifting away from the use of antibiotics on livestock and the agricultural use of pesticides are not small adjustments. They underpin current farming methods […]
Coldest spring in Switzerland for 30 years
According to Meteo Swiss, spring this year was the coldest in 30 years. The mean May temperature across the country was 2.5 ° C below the 1981-2010 norm. Over the last 30 years, only 2019 and 2013 came close to having May temperatures as cold as they were in May 2021. When chilly May is […]
Fake meat sales on the rise in Switzerland
Sales of fake or faux meat products rose sharply in Switzerland in 2020, according to figures recently published by Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG). Since 2016, the value of meat substitutes sold in Switzerland has more than doubled from CHF 32 million to CHF 72 million. However, it remains niche accounting for only 1.3% […]
Organic farming continues to gain ground in Switzerland
Switzerland continues to shift towards organic farming. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of organic farms has risen by 54%. In 2020, the number rose 3.8%. Organic farms now make up 15.3% of total farms in Switzerland, up from 6.9% 20 years ago. In 2000, there were 4,902 organic farms. By 2020, the number had […]
Latest poll shows majority support for Swiss anti-pesticide votes
With five weeks to go before Swiss vote on two initiatives aimed at drastically cutting the use of pesticides, more than 50% appear to be in favour of both initiatives, according to RTS. One of these initiatives, the clean drinking water initiative, aims to tie access to Switzerland’s generous farm subsidies to forgoing pesticide (and […]
Bio Suisse rejects anti-pesticide initiative in favour of its margins
The organic association Bio Suisse has come out against an upcoming referendum in June 2021 that aims to restrict Swiss farm income support payments to those who renounce the use of pesticide and the non-medical use of antibiotics on livestock. A popular reason for buying organic food is the concerns around the negative effects of […]
Unusually deadly avalanche season in Switzerland this winter
With the end of Switzerland’s ski season only weeks away, the number of avalanche deaths this season is already unusually high level. The average annual number of people caught in avalanches over the last 20 years is 177. This winter 296 people were affected, a 67% rise. 215 (73%) of the avalanches this season were […]
Swiss clocks advance one hour on Sunday
Summer time begins on Sunday, 28 March 2021 in Switzerland. In line with the surrounding European nations, at 2 a.m. on Sunday, 28 March 2021, Swiss clocks will move forward on hour to 3 a.m. Switzerland will remain on summer time until 31 October 2021. Abolishing daylight savings in Europe has been a subject of […]
