Farmers produce in a more environmentally friendly way, according to new agricultural report
Keystone-SDA
Farmers in Switzerland are making progress in reducing their impact on the environment, according to the latest agricultural report.
The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) wrote on Thursday that the direct payment programmes introduced for this purpose at the beginning of 2023 are being actively used. Farmers are more keen to grow crops without pesticides, improve the fertility of their soil or let their livestock graze on pastures more often.
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In 2023, farmers refrained from using herbicides on 19% of all arable land, vineyards and orchards. In addition, around 14,000 farms on 102,000 hectares of cultivated land did not use fungicides or insecticides. This is encouraging, writes the FOAG in its Agricultural Report 2024.
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Conversely, it is more difficult to protect crops without certain plant protection products. A look back over the last 30 years or so shows that agriculture is having less of an impact on the environment. However, there is still a need for action when it comes to nitrogen and greenhouse gases.
Adapted from German by DeepL/ac
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