04.07.2025

«The protection of cultures is no longer guaranteed»

Dear readers,

Swiss agriculture is in a tight spot when it comes to plant protection. At the Swiss-Food Talk on July 1, 2025, three producer representatives describe how bans, the lack of alternatives, and lengthy approval procedures are putting their crops under pressure. These developments have noticeable consequences for yields, jeopardize supply security, and raise fundamental questions about the future of Swiss production.

Between claim and reality

Less pesticides, more ecology and the call for regional food: While the federal government aims to promote domestic consumption, producers are increasingly under pressure. They lack the necessary means to effectively protect fruit, vegetables, and vines. New crop protection products have been pending approval for over a decade, in some cases – while problems in the fields continue to worsen.

More and more proven crop protection products are disappearing from the market, while new active ingredients wait years for approval. Political and regulatory pressure is increasing – but so is the threat posed by pests, plant diseases, and extreme weather. As a result, many producers are increasingly doubting the future of viable domestic production. And this practical perspective can no longer be ignored.

No more Swiss plums without emergency approvals

Edi Holliger, Vice Director of the Swiss Fruit Association (SOV), is sounding the alarm. Because the active ingredient fenoxycarb did not receive emergency approval in 2023, massive crop losses have occurred: «Over half of the plum harvest was destroyed by the plum moth – in untreated orchards, even 100 percent.» The newly emerging peach moth has also made commercial cultivation of quinces virtually impossible. The well-known spotted wing drosophila is increasingly spreading to standard trees – with consequences for biodiversity and the cultivated landscape because standard trees are being felled. «Sustainable protection of crops is no longer guaranteed,» warns Holliger. The pressure on producers is increasing – as is their undesirable dependence on imports.

Climate stress and lack of means

Daniel Etter, Vice President of Vignoble Suisse and organic winemaker, openly describes the increasing challenges facing viticulture. «I had to spray 15 times to save my harvest,» says Etter – exclusively with copper and sulfur, as required by organic farming. However, the effort is no longer justifiable relative to the yield. In 2021, he didn't harvest entire plots at all. Etter therefore calls for a maximum approval period of twelve months for new active ingredients. Furthermore, new breeding technologies must be openly discussed as part of the solution.

A high-risk game

Ruedi Fischer, long-time president of the Swiss Potato Producers' Association, who manages a 100-hectare farm, demonstrates how fragile today's success truly is. While the level of self-sufficiency for potatoes currently stands at around 80 percent, the foundations are shaky. With production costs of CHF 12,000 per hectare, cultivation is a high-risk business. At the same time, regulatory pressure is growing – for example, due to the digital certification system digiFLUX. «Those who bear such risks need reliable frameworks,» demands Fischer. Instead, questionable imports are being facilitated, while domestic production is increasingly hampered. «In plant protection, the sense of proportion has been lost.»

Unequal treatment, lack of planning

In the follow-up discussion, Regina Ammann of Syngenta pointed out a systemic imbalance in the approval process. If an active ingredient loses approval in the EU, the Swiss authorities automatically adopt this decision. The reverse is not true: New active ingredients must go through the entire process here – even if they have already been approved in several EU countries. The parliamentary initiative of National Councillor Bregy wants to eliminate this imbalance and demands that Switzerland recognize approval decisions from the EU or neighboring countries. This would enable the authorities to process the hundreds of pending applications and free up resources in the approval process – for example, for products specifically tailored to Swiss agriculture. Contrary to repeated claims, no plant protection product would «automatically» be approved by the parliamentary initiative to the Swiss market. The alleged «flood wave» won't happen, because it always takes a company willing to obtain approval, one that isn't afraid of the effort and expense required for the small Swiss market, to get a plant protection product approved. However, the clear processing deadlines would massively increase legal certainty for the companies. After all, what other industry submits applications for approval for its products and then doesn't know whether it will be able to effectively sell them in 3, 5, or 10 years?

The Swiss-Food Talk makes it clear: Without effective crop protection, neither sustainable nor safe food production is possible. Agriculture is under increasing pressure – from weather, the market, and politics. All actors in the value chain are called upon: Policymakers must ensure reliable procedures, authorities must ensure streamlined processes, and society must develop a realistic understanding of how our food is produced. Self-sufficiency doesn't begin on the store shelf, but in the field. And that's where concrete protection of crops is needed.

Your swiss-food editorial team