Sustainable food systems
The Confederation is committed to promoting the transition towards sustainable food systems in Switzerland and abroad. The FOAG is actively involved in supporting and shaping this transformation at international level. This page provides information on the main issues being addressed internationally.
Definition of food systems
A food system encompasses all activities along the food value chain – including consumption and disposal – and related elements (e.g. infrastructure, marketing). It also encompasses the impact of these activities, including on the environment, economy and society.
The social, health, environmental and economic components of the food system are interrelated in many ways, but are often treated in isolation from one another. More holistic and coherent measures are required to address this situation. The aim is to identify synergies and conflicting objectives and to work on them with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.
Sustainable livestock farming
Sustainable livestock farming refers to animal-friendly and environmentally sound treatment of animals that live on land and are used in agriculture. It is an integral part of a sustainable food system and is of great importance for global food security and a balanced diet. Non-sustainable livestock farming is a major contributor to negative environmental factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and erosion. Significant efforts are needed globally to make the sector sustainable as a whole.
The FOAG advocates for sustainable development of the livestock sector within multilateral organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and through a range of multi-stakeholder partnerships, such as the Global Agenda for Sustainable Livestock (GASL) and the Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP). These initiatives aim to increase the livestock sector’s potential as part of the response to global challenges and tackle its existing problems.
You can find out more about livestock farming in Switzerland on the pages Livestock breeding and Livestock in Switzerland.
Agroecology
Agroecology refers to a holistic, system-oriented and science-based form of agriculture that is guided by social, cultural, political, economic and ecological principles. It also draws heavily on farmers’ experience in using natural resources efficiently. Joint learning and knowledge sharing are central to this approach. Agroecology involves social change, including local and innovative marketing models that bring producers, processors and consumers closer together. Internationally, agroecology is based on 13 principles and 10 elements.
The Federal Council regards agroecology as crucial to achieving the transition towards more sustainable food systems and has incorporated agroecological principles into its proposals for developing agricultural policy.
Switzerland works to ensure that agroecology is given greater consideration through its memberships in various multilateral organisations. It represents Europe on the Steering Committee of the Agroecology Coalition, which was established as part of the Food Systems Summit (United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub), and currently co-chairs the committee. Agroecological principles are incorporated into various federal and inter-office strategies (2030 Sustainable Development Strategy and 2050 Agriculture and Food Climate Strategy), as well as into the postulate report on the future of agricultural policy 2030
Sustainable nutrition
At international level, the issue of sustainable nutrition is increasingly becoming the focus of difficult discussions. Sustainable nutrition refers to diets that promote human health and consist of sustainably produced foods of social and cultural value that offer the best possible climate and environmental performance throughout their entire life cycle.
Based on a food systems approach, the FOAG promotes normative work and framework conditions in international processes that:
- focus production specifically on sustainable and healthy consumption
- create nutritional environments that promote sustainable purchasing decisions and eating habits
- raise the public’s awareness of the benefits of sustainable nutrition
- make sustainable nutrition both economically viable for producers and affordable for consumers.
In particular, the FOAG is involved in the follow-up process to the UN Food Systems Summit and in multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme.
You can find out more about the topic of nutrition in Switzerland on the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) website.
Cost transparency
To make food systems sustainable, their environmental and social costs must be reduced. Most of these costs are hidden and are therefore not taken into account when making decisions. At the same time, the benefits are too often overlooked. Limited market transparency and a failure to take hidden costs into account create perverse incentives and discourage sustainable consumption and production decisions. Key factors in improving cost transparency include integrating external costs, improving market transparency and realigning agricultural subsidies to compensate farmers for public services.
The FOAG is working with international organisations to support efforts to quantify and highlight hidden costs within food systems. These efforts could help to identify important approaches to making food systems more sustainable. It is also important to consider the benefits of food systems. The FOAG supports work and methods that enable a differentiated view of the environmental impact of agricultural subsidies, so that incentives can be aligned more closely with sustainability objectives.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity loss is one of the three planetary crises, alongside climate change and environmental pollution. Rich and resilient biodiversity is crucial to sustainable food systems. Conversely, food systems have a major impact on the state of biodiversity. They are part of the problem (contributing to changes in land use, pollution, decline in seed diversity, etc.), but also part of the solution.
The FOAG advocates internationally for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in agriculture and food. In particular, it is committed to:
- reducing the pressure of agriculture on overall biodiversity
- recognising the contribution of sustainable agriculture and its ecosystem services
- ensuring the diversity of genetic resources for agriculture and food, e.g. through the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA)
- integrating biodiversity into the work of relevant international organisations and the implementation of relevant agreements and strategies, in particular the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
You can find out more about this topic in Switzerland on the page Biodiversity.
Climate
Food systems are a major contributor to climate change, generating around 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, agriculture and food systems are already heavily affected by the ramifications of climate change, which in turn compromises global food security.
The FOAG participates in international processes such as the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. The FOAG advocates for recognising that more sustainable food systems are essential to achieving climate goals and for ensuring that the necessary measures are taken. Pathways to more sustainable and resilient food systems should be part of the solution and should also strengthen food security. To achieve this, we require holistic and coherent strategies that ensure climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction happen hand in hand.
You can find out more about this topic in Switzerland on the page Agriculture in a changing climate.
Water
Agriculture and food systems depend on the availability and quality of water. However, the agricultural sector is also the largest consumer of fresh water globally, and it pollutes water by releasing nutrients and plant protection products. Water scarcity and excess already pose major challenges for agriculture and, in turn, for food systems. This situation will become more acute as climate change progresses, both worldwide and in Switzerland. In addition, around 50% of food in Switzerland is imported. This consumption impacts on water availability in the regions of the world where these foods are produced. Although the technical aspects of water scarcity and water management in agriculture are being discussed internationally, there is still no relevant set of standards.
For this reason, the FOAG is working at international level, particularly within FAO, to raise awareness of these issues and establish standards for the sustainable use and protection of water resources, with the aim of creating a sustainable food system. The role of agriculture in sustainable water management must be strengthened. The FOAG is also a member of FAO’s multi-stakeholder partnership, the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG).
You can find out more about this topic in Switzerland on the page Water in agriculture.
Further information
The FOAG provides a reduced English-language version of its website that does not include all further information such as documents, legislation or links. These can be found on the pages in the three official languages (German, French and Italian).
Index
Related topics
International food systems
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