Swiss govt urges voters to reject more state help for farmers

ZURICH: The Swiss government urged voters on Tuesday to reject more help for farmers and other proposals for agriculture in a referendum next month, saying they would send food prices rocketing and hurt the economy. Switzerland will two hold referendums on Sept. 23 - one on giving more state support to farmers and another on introducing more sustainable and animal-friendly agricultural practices.

An early poll has shown widespread support for both ideas, but Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said the “dangerous” proposals could trigger tariff increases and other reprisals from trading partners. One of the proposals, called the Fair Food initiative, wants all food in Switzerland to come from sustainable sources and make labelling more exact. It wants to improve animal welfare by banning imports of factory-farmed products and ensure food imports meet higher Swiss standards. Supporters like the Green Party and Social Democrats argue that consumers, animals, the environment and farmers would all benefit. The other proposal wants to increase state aid to Swiss farmers, whose numbers have halved since 1985 and three farming businesses close every day. “At first glance these proposals have stirred the sympathy of many citizens,” Schneider-Ammann told a news conference.

“I am convinced that upon closer examination of the proposals citizens will see they will make food more expensive, reduce choice and lead to more cross-border shopping from Switzerland. “Agriculture´s contribution to the Swiss economy has fallen from 2 percent in 1985 to under 1 percent. Supporters of the Food Sovereignty initiative for increased state help for struggling farmers, including farming groups and NGOs, want more price transparency to give farmers more heft when negotiating with retailers and food processors. They also want to increase the number of people working in agriculture and impose stronger regulations on imports which could be subject to higher tariffs or even bans if they do not meet Swiss standards. The government said the demands would lead to higher subsidies or fixed prices, a claim campaigners reject.