Safe Food Initiative: Parmelin launches the No campaign ahead of the September 27 vote

neither desirable nor, above all, proportionate

The ten-year deadline is another concern for the government. Some agricultural investments take between 20 and 30 years to pay off. Parmelin said such a rapid transition could make them obsolete before they had been amortised and would generate substantial support costs for the federal budget.

Parmelin also argued that a 70% rate could prove counterproductive. If domestic meat supplies became insufficient, people living near Switzerland’s borders could buy their food abroad—a scenario he described as an “own goal” for the initiative’s supporters.

The Federal Councillor also defended continued ruminant farming. He said cattle and other ruminants make better use of Switzerland’s hills and Alpine pastures, while the shift towards consuming fewer animal products is already happening naturally.

Agricultural Policy 2030 as an alternative

The Federal Council presents Agricultural Policy 2030 as a more gradual and realistic alternative. Still being prepared, the framework covers the entire food chain: production, processing, distribution and consumers. It is not a formal counterproposal to the initiative.

Christian Hofer, director of the Federal Office for Agriculture—the Swiss federal government’s centre of expertise for the agricultural sector—said Parliament had required the framework to incorporate environmental protection, biodiversity and social considerations.

9 August 2026 at 08:26

11 August 2026 at 18:13