The environment therefore flew out of agricultural policy

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In February 2020, Economy Minister Guy Parmelin (63) delivered a strong message on Swiss agricultural policy: “Farm efficiency will be increased and environmental pollution and consumption of non-renewable resources will be further reduced.”

To this end, Parmelin provided various measures to protect the environment. The new agricultural policy 22+ must take into account the sustainability of ecosystems and water protection, promote biodiversity and reduce nitrate pollution.

The House of Representatives will consider the bill next week. But things look very different now: the environmental measures are gone – scrapped by the Federal Council, which proposed them in 2020. What happened?

Farmers have the upper hand

In 2020, the farmers’ organization massively criticized Parmelin’s proposals – and convinced parliament with their criticism. This suspended deliberations on agricultural policy and demanded a new draft from the Bundesrat. Parmelin took the hint with the fence post and greatly reduced the template.

This means that the environmental measures are gone. Instead, Parmelin’s department refers to the implementation of a parliamentary initiative that “contains a comprehensive package to reduce pesticide risks and nutrient losses.”

However, this package does not replace the canceled measures. Is it a fig leaf? Central National Councilor Markus Ritter (55), chairman of the Boerenbond, disagrees: “The implementation of the initiative is a huge transition project that encompasses a wide range of environmental measures.”

Even better for the farmers: there is a good chance that parliament will approve a motion from the Economic Commission of the Council of States, which wants to shift the focus from agricultural to food policy. This means that in the future, politics should not only focus on agriculture, but also on traders and consumers. “Agriculture’s biggest driver is consumption,” says Markus Ritter. “On average, this accounts for 80 percent of the farmers’ turnover. Only 20 percent goes to the direct payments account.”

Bourgeois wants to accommodate farmers even more

Climate regulation was not an issue in Agricultural Policy 22+ from the start. And that’s the right thing to do, says Ritter. “Agriculture is part of society and is equally influenced by general measures.” As an example, he mentions the planned solar requirement for buildings with a floor area of ​​at least 300 square metres. “This affects pretty much all farms.” In the area of ​​climate, special legislation for agriculture is therefore not necessary.

Outsourcing environmental measures, focus on the entire value chain, no climate regulation – the 22+ agricultural policy is very accommodating to farmers. In the preparatory committee there was only one objection from civil society: the role of environmental organizations should be reduced.

In turn, they are not happy with the development of Swiss agricultural policy: “The Federal Council has made a U-turn at the expense of the environment,” says Jonas Schmid (41) of WWF Switzerland. “We are very surprised that he has declined his own proposals.”

Source:Blick