Important political decisions lie ahead for Swiss agriculture, and the farmers hold many trump cards. Rarely has their position been as strong as it is today, according to an analysis by Swissinfo's politics correspondent. Economics Minister Guy Parmelin is a winegrower. This year he also holds the rotating Swiss presidency, and he hopes to use his position “to promote better understanding of economic issues among the population”. But the agricultural sector is hardly in need of this. In recent years Swiss voters have consistently rejected all initiatives calling for stricter regulations in farming. In 2021 voters turned down two initiatives for fewer pesticides; in 2022 they nixed a proposal to scale back factory farming; and in 2024 they said no to greater protection for biodiversity. Today, spurred by the unpredictable security situation in Europe, the goal of crisis-proof self-sufficiency has taken on renewed importance. This also helps bolster the position of the farmers.
