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Organic farmers are delaying the slogan for the clean water initiative. The decision comes as a surprise and makes you sit down and take note: the farmers’ association has closed ranks in the voting campaign.
Should Swiss farmers avoid using pesticides? It will be voted in 2021.
For now, the majority would be there: 65 per cent of the Swiss would say “more or less” or “definitely” yes to the clean water initiative. This is the result of a survey conducted by the Swiss Farmers Association. Until the vote, the approval will be reduced, the only question is: how far? Now a development of the organic scene is making people sit up and take notice.
In reality, organic farmers should have said no to the clean water initiative on Wednesday. This is what the Bio Suisse board of directors wanted, the Swiss Farmers Association hoped. Solo: Organic delegates opposed no. Surprisingly, he postponed the catchphrase version. Apparently, the clean water initiative among organic farmers has more supporters than expected.
Agriculture is divided, starters are happy
The head of the initiative committee, Franziska Herren, is satisfied. She says: “Bio Suisse delegates know that a no to initiative is impossible to explain to consumers.” The decision shows “that organic farmers are pioneers and want to stay.”
The Swiss Farmers Association is counting on organic farmers in the fight against the clean water initiative. Farmers President Markus Ritter’s primary goal is for agriculture to unite against the initiative. Also for this reason, Ritter prevented a counterproposal in parliament.
Organic farmers only postponed the decision on Wednesday. A catchphrase is now not much less likely. If organic farmers even recommend a yes in the spring, the voting campaign for the farmers association can be surprisingly difficult. Farmer President Ritter is not impressed when asked. Organic farmers themselves are affected by the initiative, he says. “The shift doesn’t change that.”
The problem for organic farmers is the surplus of nutrients: the potable water initiative requires that farms only receive direct payments from the federal government if they have an animal population that “can be fed with the forage produced on the farm.” According to the Bio Suisse board, this would affect “a few hundred” organic fattening farms.
Furthermore: depending on the interpretation of the initiative, farms can no longer exchange feed and liquid manure with each other. That is common today. For example, organic farmers buy liquid manure from conventional farmers for a fee. That would be impossible with a strict interpretation of the initiative.
At the same time, organic farmers are struggling with pesticides from conventional farmers that reach their fields through the air. An investigation by the environmental organization Greenpeace this week concluded that pesticides can be carried for miles through the air.
Hope in Parliament
For the Bio Suisse association, the delegate’s decision on Wednesday is proof that many organic farmers support the drinking water initiative. Spokesman David Hermann says: “Many organic farmers see a fundamental question in the initiative: Should Swiss agriculture go in a greener direction?” Many delegates had confidence in Parliament and believed that if the initiative was taken, it would be implemented with a sense of proportion.
Spokesman Herrmann interprets the vote as a warning shot for the Council of States. It will decide in December whether the 22+ green agricultural policy will be suspended. Herrmann says: “Our organic farmers await responses from parliament. He’s sticking to green reform. “
Support for the western Swiss pesticide initiative
A second decision on Wednesday shows how much organic farmers want the change: Organic farmers support the French-speaking Swiss initiative to ban synthetic pesticides. It will come to the vote on the same day as the clean water initiative and will call for a total ban on synthetic chemical pesticides in Switzerland and imported food.
The French-speaking Swiss initiative is much more radical than the drinking water initiative. This does not require a ban, but does provide an incentive: farmers can continue to use pesticides. In this case, however, you will have to forgo direct payments. Despite the radicalism, many needy farmers would prefer the French-speaking Swiss initiative. This is because imported fruits or cereals should also be pesticide-free.
The initiative of French-speaking Switzerland has very little chance at the polls. It will probably also be fought by the food trade, which would be heavily affected by the import ban. The initiative is also little known in German-speaking Switzerland. So: That can still change. The vote will take place in June 2021.
