Full Shelves – Of course! How Secure Is Our Supply Really?
Security of supply sounds like a shared goal. However, as soon as it comes to the path to get there, conflicts arise: between market and state, ecology and production, as well as self-sufficiency and international connectivity. The Agricultural Policy Podcast and swiss-food.ch explore the key dependencies and areas of tension surrounding supply security in a five-part series. The highlight will be a live podcast in front of an audience on November 5, 2026, at the Äusserer Stand (Hofcafé) in Bern.
Published: 28.09.2026, 10:06 | Updated: 28.09.2026, 11:29
In brief
- Full supermarket shelves mask a complex supply system that relies on many different factors.
- Extreme weather events and geopolitical tensions are putting increasing pressure on global and national supply chains.
- Security of supply is caught in a trade-off between the need for state intervention and free markets, ecological requirements and domestic production, as well as autarky and international integration.
- In a five-part series, the Agricultural Policy Podcast highlights historical developments and future questions regarding Swiss supply security. The climax of the series is a public live podcast on November 5, 2026, in Bern.
Full shelves seem self-evident. But behind them lies a complex supply system that depends on many factors. Added to this are extreme weather events and geopolitical tensions, which put supply chains under pressure.
The concept of security of supply is characterized by key dependencies and areas of tension. As soon as it comes to the way forward, conflicts begin: How heavily should Switzerland rely on imports? What role do mandatory stocks and strategic reserves play? How can a reliable supply be combined with the claim to produce as naturally as possible, and what price are we willing to pay for it?
Across five exciting episodes, experts from science, industry, government, and agriculture discuss what security of supply really means today, in the past – and, above all, in the future.
The Podcast Series
Episode 1: The Historical Perspective – What Security of Supply Meant in Different Era
To kick off the series, agricultural historian Dr. Peter Moser talks about the historical dimension of supply security. He demonstrates how crises shape expectations of state-guaranteed food security – and why the agricultural sector in industrial societies has primarily evolved 'in the wake of consumption.' Peter Moser is an agricultural historian and co-director of the Archives of Agricultural History.
Listen to Episode 1 with Dr. Peter Moser here
Episode 2: Security of Supply – What Is at Stake (October 3, 2026)
Episode 3: Higher Yields, Less Land – How Greater Self-Sufficiency Could Succeed (October 17, 2026)
Episode 4: Old-Fashioned Supply Security – Autarky or Integration? (October 31, 2026)
The grand finale of the podcast series will be a live panel discussion in front of an audience on November 5, 2026, in Bern:
Full Shelves – Of course! How Secure Is Our Supply Really?
In the live podcast, contrasting perspectives on security of supply will clash. Panelists:
- Rebecca Knoth-Letsch, Managing Director of Vision Landwirtschaft
- Daniel Imhof, Head of Agriculture at Nestlé Switzerland
- Martin Rufer, Director of the Swiss Farmers' Union
Moderation: Andreas Wyss, host of the Agricultural Policy Podcast
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Doors open: from 6:00 PM
Podcast recording: 7:00 PM
Location: Äusserer Stand (Hofcafé), Zeughausgasse 17, 3011 Bern
Apéro riche before and after the podcast recording
The Agrarpolitik podcast is available on all major platforms. Here you can listen to the latest episodes.
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