Bridging Tradition and Innovation in Swiss Agriculture

During our seminar in Switzerland, we had the unique opportunity to dive into the world of Swiss agriculture and see how long-established traditions work together with new scientific ideas to shape the future of food security.

In Olten, we attended an insightful presentation by Michael Suter from the Suter Steinhof, a fourth-generation farm, located in Othmarsingen. Michael shared his experience about managing his farm, which covers 85 hectares and is run by four full-time farmers and one apprentice. He explained how his farm takes care of 40 dairy cows, with each cow producing about 28 liters of milk per day — enough to provide milk for 1,000 people daily.

Besides the dairy they also grow rapeseed for oil, sugar beets, grains and many different vegetables like beans, lettuce and potatoes. A particularly fascinating insight was that crop rotation is planned over a 10-year cycle to prevent soil depletion and plant diseases. He also pointed out that 20% of the land is set aside as Biodiversity promotion areas, which are crucial for supporting various species like bees, birds and rodents. Finally, we discussed challenges such as planning long-term crop rotations, dealing with unpredictable weather, and our role as consumers. He encouraged us to compost and gifted us sunflower seeds and sweet corn to plant ourselves.

Our journey continued with an eye-opening session at Agroscope Reckenholz. Agroscope conducts research across the entire agricultural and food value chain, aiming to foster a competitive, sustainable, and high-quality agricultural sector. Their is the only research of its kind, that is state-supported, which demonstrates Switzerland’s commitment to scientific advancements in agriculture.

From them, we learned that modern crop plants are not solely products of natural evolution but are the result of intentional crossbreeding processes that can take up to 50 years. Agroscope has for example spent 42 years adapting soybeans to the Swiss conditions and is now able to successfully grow them here. We also learned about genetically modified (GMO) plants and how they could help improve agriculture by making crops more resistant to pests, diseases, and drought. This technology could also reduce the need for chemical pesticides and help secure food production in a changing climate but is highly controversial as we learned.

Together, these experiences have deepened our understanding of the delicate balance between tradition and innovation in agriculture. They highlight the importance of sustainable food production practices and the role of science in ensuring global food security.

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