20.04.2023

Blinkers block the view of the big picture

Dear readers

The intentions are mostly noble. Politicians want to help the "good" prevail. But there is a problem. Often, the "good" is defined very partially. The comprehensive view is missing. There is a lack of understanding for the goal and consequences of a political intervention, because beyond the buzzwords, things often look different. In the last newsletter, we addressed the carrot and stick policy of public health authorities. But the official mold with blinkers is also galloping elsewhere - for example in trade policy. Sustainability is also affected, where a comprehensive view is often lacking.

Let's talk about trade first. There, too, arguments are often only very partial. And even referendums are ignored. In 2018, the Fair Food Initiative was rejected by the Swiss electorate with 61% no votes. The initiative wanted to make Switzerland the measure of all things. Only food produced according to Swiss criteria should be allowed to be imported. But the people said no. The electorate did not approve of the plans to close off the market. They voted strongly against higher food prices. But the idea of controlling foreign production from within small Switzerland still has many sympathizers. And this despite justified doubts about its feasibility and negative consequences such as a flourishing bureaucracy, trade barriers and rising prices.

Both the National Council and the Committee for Science, Education, and Culture of the Council of States (WBK-S) have adopted a motion stipulating that only foodstuffs produced with pesticides approved in Switzerland may be imported. The commission's reasoning: since Switzerland regulates pesticides so strictly, it must be ensured that Swiss farmers are not at a disadvantage compared to their foreign competitors. However, this is putting the cart before the horse. The decisive factor is a risk-based regulation of plant protection products. If the regulations in Switzerland have developed into a zero-tolerance policy, it makes even less sense to impose Swiss regulations on the entire world. Especially not for far larger agricultural countries with robust risk-based approval systems. The fact is that a domestic risk-based regulation would also level the playing field - without market isolation and trade barriers. In the summer session, the plenum of the Council of States has the chance to overturn this harmful and hardly implementable decision.

Unequal regulation of production standards must also be used as a justification for more expensive "Swiss Finish" declaration requirements. For example, the WBK-S already passed a motion in 2020 to introduce a declaration requirement for production methods banned in Switzerland. In the Council of States, justified objections were swept away with reference to the Swiss lowering path for pesticides and nutrients. For example, it is impossible to check whether only pesticides that are also permitted in Switzerland were used in the production of the grain for the flour in the dough of a pizza. What is the use of a declaration requirement that cannot be enforced, is the justified question. What is the use of "Swiss Finish" if the data is missing or can only be generated with disproportionate effort? It is of no use and only promotes uncertainty along the entire value chain.

The discussion in the Council of States on a motion that actually demands nothing more than the written indication of the origin of foodstuffs, even in open sale, went in a similar direction. Nevertheless, the discussion in the small chamber extended to the general declaration of the origin of ingredients, and agricultural politicians argued with unequal production standards in Switzerland and abroad. At least it is comforting that the Council of States refrained from proposing an amendment and thus from extending the motion beyond open sales. The legislative guard rail for the Federal Council and the administration thus remains very narrow. At the same time, the discussion shows that the spirit of the Fair Food Initiative continues to shape policy. For all the disadvantages it brings. Many continue to believe that the world must heal thanks to Switzerland. And that the Swiss economy and the local consumers can afford to pay considerably more for agricultural products.

The discussion about sustainability is also strongly influenced by state control. But time and again, political prescriptions focus on partial aspects. Short-term media hypes are important guidelines for legislation. Politicians jump around like at a rodeo. And the blinkers of political partisanship block the view of the big picture. The short-term view is problematic because laws are supposed to apply for decades and give the industry planning security. This obscures the political view of comprehensive sustainability and thus also the holistic setting of political guard rails. Because of short-sightedness and blinkers, the government guardian ignores technologies that will contribute to future comprehensive sustainability. In the food sector, for example, precision fermentation is gaining importance. It uses biotechnological processes such as the gene scissors CRISPR/Cas to produce tailor-made microorganisms to produce diverse ingredients. There are multiple examples in the food sector, like rennet for cheese production, various sweeteners, flavors or vitamins that are produced using precision fermentation. Furthermore, such biotechnological processes are used in the production of alternatives to animal products. The advantage of this is that the products can already be manufactured today or in the foreseeable future in a much more resource-efficient way. One would therefore think that politicians would be interested in such developments. But fearful micromanagement in the biotechnology sector is putting the brakes on them in Switzerland.

Precision fermentation illustrates that comprehensive sustainability is also linked to the development of new technologies and their approval. Here, too, the state would be well advised to focus on a sober science - and risk-based - and above all moderate - regulation, thus enabling innovation. It is becoming increasingly apparent that in the future, sustainability will also be lab-based. A recent "Swiss-Food Talk" was devoted to the importance of "Future Food" in the food sector. Proteins are among the most important components of a healthy and balanced diet. Most of the protein consumed by humans still comes from animals and is extremely resource-intensive to produce. But this could change in the future. The Washington Post has also reported on this: "Cowless dairy is here, with the potential to shake up the future of animal dairy and plant-based milks" is the title of the article. The Israeli start-up "Remilk" has already achieved considerable success in the field of alternative milk proteins. It uses precision fermentation to produce milk that does not differ in taste or appearance from the original cow's milk. The whole thing is more than science fiction. As the SonntagsZeitung reports, Nestlé is already selling milk from the lab in the U.S., and a Swiss entrepreneur is producing just such cheese, soon to be launched in Germany. Sustainability will be the determining factor for success. But regulation will ultimately determine whether this development also has a chance in our country, or whether Switzerland becomes a laggard.

One thing is certain: biotechnology is also leading to changes in agriculture. And it's not just about higher yields. Thanks to plants with resistance to insect pests, farmers have also had to apply fewer insecticides. Between 1996 and 2022, a total of 7.5 million metric tons of crop protection products could be dispensed with. This corresponds to 1.5 times the amount used annually in China. In Switzerland, however, the restrictive application of the well-intentioned precautionary principle prevents the use of environmentally friendly biotechnological processes in agriculture. Reality shows: Biotechnology is innovative and has great benefits. However, innovation does not come about through government paternalism. Freedom and stable framework conditions are important. Only then will enterprises invest in new technologies and drive them forward.

Your swiss-food.ch editorial team