Are EU inspectors headed for Swiss farms? 

A new food agreement with the EU opens up export opportunities for Swiss farmers – but it also sets some alarm bells ringing in the agricultural sector. Anyone who wants to scare Swiss farmers has an easy time of it. All they need do is announce that even more inspections are afoot. The sheer volume of on-site checks undergone by ordinary Swiss farms has long been perceived as disruptive. To show that the government is aware of this, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin – who is also responsible for agriculture – visited a farm in canton Bern’s Seeland region last year. He announced clearly: “we want to lighten the burden of inspections on farmers.” Since then, a “roundtable” – the government’s cure-all for complex challenges – has been meeting in Bern. The aim: to stem the flood of inspections on farms. One farm, many inspectors A winegrower himself, Parmelin has credibility in the agricultural sector. But the inspection system has long since taken on a life of its own, and even the ...