Switzerland votes on pesticides ban

GENEVA: Switzerland votes Sunday on proposals to ban synthetic pesticides following a campaign that has shattered the idyllic image of peaceful Swiss Alpine pastures by sharply dividing opinion.

The Swiss are also voting on a series of hot topics, including anti-terror measures and Covid-19 laws.

Polling stations close at 1000 GMT, with most people having voted by post. Results will be known before the end of the day.

Voters must decide whether they approve a Covid-19 law that extends government powers to fight the pandemic and mitigate its consequences on society and the economy.

But the two anti-pesticide proposals have triggered the most noise, in an electoral campaign marked by fiery debates between farmers.

The campaign boiled over in the western Vaud region when arsonists torched a trailer in a field displaying banners calling for a "No" vote, infuriating farmers.

Meanwhile farmers in the "Yes" campaign say they have been the victims of insults, threats and intimidation.

The first popular initiative, entitled "For a Switzerland free from synthetic pesticides", calls for a domestic ban within 10 years, while imported foodstuffs produced using such pesticides would also be outlawed.

Under the second, "For clean drinking water and healthy food", only farms that do not use pesticides and use antibiotics only to treat sick animals would be eligible for government subsidies. The amount of liquid manure being used on fields, and thereby potentially entering the water system, would also be limited.

Environmentalists and the political left back both initiatives.

The Swiss government wants a double "No" vote, arguing the proposals would undermine national food sovereignty.

Switzerland is also home to Syngenta, one of the largest manufacturers of plant protection products, which was bought by the Chinese giant ChemChina in 2017.

Though urban voters are largely in favour, and rural voters seem set to vote "No", polls indicate that both proposals are likely to be rejected.