The "For food security" initiative: National Council recommends approval
The National Council recommends that voters approve the popular initiative "For food security", and by so doing has opposed the recommendations of the Federal Council.
During the 2016 spring session, the majority of National Council members supported the approval of the popular initiative "For food security". The initiative of the Swiss Farmers' Union aims to add a new article to the Federal Constitution which would oblige the Federal Government to increase the supply of food products sourced from diverse and sustainable domestic production. The initiators' petition for a referendum calls especially for measures to protect against the loss of arable land.
The National Council's decision is in opposition to the recommendation of the Federal Council, which had rejected the “For food security” initiative in April 2015 without a counter proposal. The government believes that the current level of food security in Switzerland is already very high. The self-sufficiency rate has been 55% for quite a while. In the next step, the Council of States will discuss the proposal, but the Swiss electorate will have the final say on whether the provisions are added to the Constitution.