«How can our agriculture and food system become fit for the new normal?»
Knowledge

«How can our agriculture and food system become fit for the new normal?»

It is time to say goodbye to millimeter agricultural policy, says Liebegg director Hansruedi Häfliger in view of the global multi-crisis. Farming families should be given back the necessary room for maneuver so that the agriculture and food economy becomes more resilient.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

The beginning of the year is an appropriate time to look back and take stock: the world is in a multi-crisis! A brutal war of aggression rages in Europe, and the global geopolitical situation is more unstable than ever. War also rages in cyberspace and even in outer space. Climate and hunger crises contribute to massive migration flows, and the energy crisis, along with the effects of COVID-19, cause insecure and disrupted supply chains. Financial and commodity markets react with corresponding instability, fueling inflationary tendencies. Additionally, global land grabbing and brain drain occur alongside unprecedented labor shortages in Western Europe.


Crises require adaptive systems

The world has entered a "new normal" that will affect us for decades to come. The volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world increasingly overwhelms people, leading to a sense of loss of control. In an attempt to regain control, people ask for more planning, increasing the need for structure, order, and compliance. However, scientific research shows that routines, checklists, and standardized procedures are of limited use in turbulent times. Broad competencies and personal responsibility are essential. Crises call for resilient individuals with perseverance and trustworthy minds with leadership skills. Crises require adaptive systems that provide room for maneuver for the actors.


Balancing conflicting goals is crucial

Currently, the Swiss economy remains in a robust position. Ample room for maneuver and intensive "training" with trading partners have kept the actors fit. However, the multi-crisis will increasingly put pressure on today's prosperity, and basic human needs will become more important at the same time. Thus, we would do well to make our agriculture and food sector more resilient by giving farming families the room for maneuver they need and moving away from overly restrictive agricultural policies. We should also increasingly weigh the prosperity-driven trade-offs in the environmental and rural sectors according to the principle of systemic relevance. It is not yet too late to prepare ourselves for the new normal.

Hansruedi Häfliger is Director of the Liebegg Agricultural Center. This guest article was first published in the "BauernZeitung" of February 17, 2023.

Related articles

Is the industry exporting banned pesticides?
Knowledge

Is the industry exporting banned pesticides?

The media is full of stories about Swiss producers of plant protection products exporting pesticides that are banned in Switzerland. Weak regulations in importing countries would be deliberately exploited. However, this does not correspond to the facts. When exporting plant protection products, Swiss manufacturers adhere to strict international standards. In addition, there are certain products for which an approval in Switzerland does not make sense.

From Data to Harvests - How Digitization is Improving Agriculture
Knowledge

From Data to Harvests - How Digitization is Improving Agriculture

Digitalization is making its way into agriculture. At the Swiss-Food Talk on April 25, 2023, three experts from the agricultural machinery industry, vegetable production, and agricultural media discussed how digitization is changing food production. The consensus is that we are in the transition from industrial to smart agriculture, where data and algorithms as support allow precise interventions and serve sustainability.

The search for the egg of the future
Knowledge

The search for the egg of the future

Boiled, stirred, fried: Eggs are not only popular at Easter. At the same time, there is increasing interest in alternatives to the animal protein products that are common in our country. The search for new protein sources therefore does not stop at chicken eggs. The "egg substitute" can come from exotic jellyfish, as well as from a wide variety of plant sources. The result: The demand for protein-rich crops is growing.

“Future Food”: From development to shopping basket
Knowledge

“Future Food”: From development to shopping basket

Protein is a key component in a healthy, balanced diet. However, the majority of protein consumed by humans derives from animals and is extremely resource-intensive to produce. What might alternatives look like? And what needs to happen to enable alternative protein products to end up in consumers’ baskets? At the Swiss-Food Talk, three experts considered the issues.

More contributions from Knowledge