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Switzerland has ‘enough’ arable land

ARable land
Emanuel Ammon/AURA

There is enough good arable land available in Switzerland.

With 445,680 hectares, the minimum target is exceeded by almost two percent, as a national overview published for the first time shows. Nevertheless, the crop rotation areas (FFF) are under pressure.

These are the soils with the highest agricultural yield potential. They are intended to ensure self-sufficiency in severe shortages and are central to food security in Switzerland.

Switzerland must secure at least 438,460 hectares of crop rotation areas in accordance with the FFF sectoral plan. According to the first federal statistics, Switzerland meets the specified minimum area by 7,220 hectares, as the Federal Office for Spatial Development announced to the media in Bern on Tuesday. Accordingly, around 11% of the country’s area is now protected as FFF.

Nevertheless, according to the study, crop rotation areas are under pressure. Society’s need for space is increasing. This could become even worse in the future due to population and economic growth.

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