Federal popular initiative "For healthy, environmentally friendly and fairly produced food (Fair Food Initiative)"
The federal popular initiative “For healthy, environmentally friendly and fairly produced food (Fair Food Initiative)” was a popular initiative initiated by the Swiss Green Party , which sought to insert Article 104a (food) into the federal constitution of the Swiss Confederation . The initiative did not reach a majority in the vote on September 23, 2018.
target
With the addition to Article 104 (Agriculture), the federal government should be obliged to «strengthen the range of foods that are of good quality, safe and that are environmentally friendly and resource-saving, animal-friendly and produced under fair working conditions».
For this he should among other things
- Define requirements for production and processing,
- Ensure that imported agricultural products that are used as food meet these requirements, thereby favoring products from fair trade and agricultural farms,
- ensure that the negative effects of the transport and storage of food and feed on the environment and climate are reduced,
- Make target agreements with the food industry,
- promote the processing and marketing of regionally and seasonally produced food and
- Take measures to curb food waste.
The fair food initiative was supported by organizations from agriculture, consumer protection , development cooperation and animal welfare . It was the third popular initiative submitted on nutrition in a period of two years.
course
After a preliminary check, signatures were collected from May 27, 2014 and the initiative was submitted on November 26, 2015, whereupon it was established on December 8, 2015.
Some demands from the fair food initiative were included in the counter-proposal to the withdrawn initiative of the farmers' association on food security, which was accepted by the people , which is why the latter now regarded the fair food initiative as unnecessary.
In October 2016, the Federal Council recommended rejecting the initiative without a counter-proposal. Your request was welcomed in principle. However, it is incompatible with international obligations and requires a complex control system that cannot be implemented in practice. The argument followed in May 2017 by the recommendation of the National Council Commission on Economy and Taxes (WAK-N). Following this, the National Council decided at the end of September 2017 to recommend the people and cantons initiative for rejection. The Council of States also agreed in February 2018. On March 16, 2018, parliament concluded its deliberations on the popular initiative with the final votes.
The Federal Council set September 23, 2018 as the date on which the initiative will come to a vote before the people and the cantons.
Positions of the political parties
The SP , the Greens , the EPP and the PdA had decided on the yes slogan . The initiative was rejected by the FDP , CVP , SVP and BDP . Grünliberale and CSP Obwalden decided to approve the vote.
Opinion polls
Institute | Client | date | Yes | Rather yes | Tie No answer |
Rather no | No |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LeeWas GmbH | Tamedia | September 7, 2018 | 37 | 6th | 1 | 5 | 51 |
GfS Bern | SRG SSR | 2nd September 2018 | 30th | 23 | 2 | 17th | 28 |
LeeWas GmbH | Tamedia | August 24, 2018 | 40 | 15th | 3 | 9 | 33 |
LeeWas GmbH | Tamedia | 7th August 2018 | 41 | 23 | 3 | 13 | 20th |
GfS Bern | SRG SSR | 5th August 2018 | 44 | 34 | 2 | 13 | 7th |
Comments: Figures in percent. The date indicates the middle point in time of the survey, not the point in time when the survey was published.
Voting result
The popular initiative failed to achieve a majority with 38.8 percent of the votes cast.
Canton | Yes (%) | No (%) | Participation (%) |
---|---|---|---|
Aargau | 28.8 | 71.2 | 35.6 |
Appenzell Ausserrhoden | 32.6 | 67.4 | 39.8 |
Appenzell Innerrhoden | 23.3 | 76.7 | 31.3 |
Basel-Country | 33.5 | 66.5 | 35.6 |
Basel city | 42.8 | 57.2 | 42.9 |
Bern | 36.9 | 63.1 | 34.7 |
Freiburg | 48.7 | 51.3 | 33.8 |
Geneva | 63.9 | 36.1 | 39.7 |
Glarus | 32.9 | 67.1 | 28.6 |
Grisons | 29.6 | 70.4 | 37.6 |
law | 58.9 | 41.1 | 30.6 |
Lucerne | 28.9 | 71.1 | 38.2 |
Neuchâtel | 57.1 | 42.9 | 33.7 |
Nidwalden | 22.5 | 77.5 | 40.2 |
Obwalden | 20.4 | 79.6 | 42.0 |
Schaffhausen | 34.4 | 65.6 | 59.6 |
Schwyz | 22.6 | 77.4 | 38.8 |
Solothurn | 31.2 | 68.8 | 35.3 |
St. Gallen | 29.8 | 70.2 | 37.3 |
Ticino | 42.7 | 57.3 | 40.7 |
Thurgau | 28.9 | 71.1 | 35.9 |
Uri | 25.8 | 74.2 | 27.7 |
Vaud | 63.8 | 36.2 | 38.1 |
Valais | 38.5 | 61.5 | 35.8 |
train | 27.4 | 72.6 | 44.7 |
Zurich | 35.3 | 64.7 | 39.8 |
Swiss Confederation | 38.7 | 61.3 | 37.0 |
Follow-up survey of the voters
A survey after the vote (VOTO study) showed that a clear majority of those who voted supported the core concerns of the proposal. The initiative was rejected because of concerns about rising food prices and doubts about its practicability.
Web links
- The full text of the initiative is available on the Federal Chancellery's website
- Pro Fair Food Initiative website
- The fair food initiative in parliament
Individual evidence
- ↑ Swiss Federal Chancellery: Eidgenössische Volksinitiative 'For healthy, environmentally friendly and fairly produced food (Fair Food Initiative)'
- ↑ Federal Council rejects the fair food initiative. Tages-Anzeiger , October 26, 2016.
- ↑ No to the fair food initiative. Swiss Parliament website.
- ↑ Shop 16.073 For healthy, environmentally friendly and fairly produced food (fair food initiative). Popular initiative. In: parlament.ch. Retrieved October 1, 2017 .
- ^ Bundeskanzlei BK: Voting documents for September 23, 2018. Accessed on May 13, 2018 .
- ↑ Yes to the fair food initiative! on fair-food.ch , March 16, 2018.
- ↑ Federal Chancellery: Federal resolution on the popular initiative “For healthy, environmentally friendly and fairly produced food (Fair Food Initiative)” , March 16, 2018.
- ↑ SwissInfo: Swiss voters do not appreciate the fair food initiative
- ↑ Popular initiative of November 26th, 2015 "For healthy, environmentally friendly and fairly produced food (Fair Food Initiative)". Swiss Federal Chancellery, accessed on September 30, 2018 .
- ↑ Publications and data - Voto. Retrieved November 18, 2018 (German).