On June 13, a referendum will be held in the country, at which it will be possible to vote for a complete rejection of synthetic pesticides. The initiators of the referendum very much hope that their idea will not only win in a separate state, but also quickly spread throughout Europe and move on. In the meantime, only the small Asian Kingdom of Bhutan has announced a complete ban on synthetic pesticides.
The arguments of the supporters of the ban have long been known: agricultural chemicals provoke a malfunction in the functioning of the human body, causing various diseases, and poison the nature, reducing its biodiversity. But they cannot answer the question of how to feed humanity, when agrochemistry will cease to be used and the yield will significantly decrease, according to some data, up to 40 percent.
On June 13, Switzerland will also vote on improving the quality of drinking water and food. If this issue also passes, then the state will stop paying direct subsidies to farmers using synthetic pesticides and antibiotics in livestock enterprises.
Even experts do not undertake to say unequivocally whether the "green idea" will win in Switzerland this year. But if the majority votes in favor, then a 10-year transition period will follow. During this time, farmers will adapt their farms to new requirements, and the country will become the first country in the world with the cleanest agriculture, reports Reuters.