Discussing the future of Swiss agriculture
As part of the Open Your Eyes Photo Festival, a panel discussion brought together experts and ETH Zurich students to discuss the sustainability of Swiss food production.
The expansion and role of organic products in Switzerland is a question that concerns many stakeholders, and this question was also the focus of the panel discussion on 13 September 2023. The event brought six diverse panelists together at ETH Zurich and attracted an audience of 40 people.
The discussion, which was moderated by Edith Hollenstein from Tages-Anzeiger, started with questions about growth and the current state of organic production in Switzerland. Urs Niggli, President of the Institute for Agroecology, and Urs Brändli from Bio Suisse reflected on the development of organic farming to date and also highlighted its limits and opportunities. Hanspeter Renggli from Junglandwirte commission (Young Farmer’s Commission) operates a livestock farm and highlighted the difficulties faced by today's farmers. He also explained what is needed to maintain Swiss agriculture in the future.
The discussion soon moved onto the issue of the sustainability of animal production and led to a lively debate. Freddy Hunziker, Founder and CEO of New Roots, highlighted the need for expansion of plant-based foods, such as vegan cheese. Vivienne Hanke, who studies agricultural sciences at the ETH Zurich, mentioned the complexities of the whole system and the importance of Switzerland as a grassland. David Tschan, a mechanical engineering student at ETH Zurich, stressed the urgency for change and reducing consumption of animal products. Throughout the discussion, the panelists agreed that policy changes are necessary to shift production and consumption in a more sustainable direction. The evening ended with a reception where guests could continue the discussions.
Many thanks to the panelists and everyone who attended the event for being part of an interesting discussion and for bringing in different points of view. We also thank Alnatura, the Tages-Anzeiger, and the students from ETH Zurich for collaborating to organize the event.
Switzerland an organic country? Vision or nutritional nightmare?
A discussion event as a part of the open your eyes photo festival
Date: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Time: 17:00 – 19:30 CET
Location: ETH Zurich
