Prior to this, the dairy farmers had requested a structural increase of 4 to 5 cents, despite milk prices already being at a record high. Moreover, the gap between prices in Switzerland and those in the EU has recently grown larger.
Swiss dairy factories pay as much as 32 cents more for milk than companies in the EU. As a result, Swiss exporters are increasingly struggling to market their dairy products in Europe. This affects not only cheese and baby food producers but also the chocolate industry.
It was the first time in decades that Swiss farmers participated in demonstrations. The mostly local protests were called by small groups; the Swiss farmers' association stayed out of it to avoid escalation.
“We consciously use less radical methods,” said one of the organizers. “The Swiss population has a positive attitude towards agriculture. With a more aggressive protest, we would jeopardize that.”
Unlike in EU countries, farmers in Switzerland have a say in annually setting the benchmark price for milk: of the twenty board members of the milk price consultation, ten come from farmers' organizations.
Switzerland is not a member of the EU but follows most European rules regarding food, climate, environment, and trade. Due to this setup, Swiss agricultural policy is not 'transferred' to Brussels, and the Swiss parliament still has significant control. Therefore, angry Swiss farmers cannot always portray Brussels as the main culprit.
Furthermore, due to numerous public referenda, most sensitive societal issues are extensively discussed at an early stage. Many environmental and climate matters in agriculture thus remain not only a matter between farmers and nature lovers but are often decided by the entire population through the ballot box.
For example, the Swiss have already decided not to ban chemical pesticides in agriculture and not to raise animal welfare requirements. However, the Swiss population has also said ‘yes’ to reducing air pollution and supporting the energy transition.