The Swiss consume less food

The Federal Council of Switzerland has reported a decrease in per capita food consumption despite the growth in the permanent resident population and the expansion of the food processing industry from 1994 to 2019. The decline in consumption is observed across both plant and animal products, although some foods like potatoes, poultry, cheese, and eggs have seen an increase in consumption, while Fluid milk, wine, and meat calf have seen a decrease. The country's food imports have grown faster than its population, with non-quota agricultural products also on the rise. Despite the increase in fruit imports, which are not subject to WTO quotas, there is a decline in demand for wine. The growth in food imports, excluding products for re-export, is roughly on par with population growth. This report was prepared in response to a postulate made by National Councilor Jacques Bourgeois in December 2019, requesting an analysis of agricultural product imports since the Uruguay Round of the WTO and their comparison to demographic trends, to aid in the agricultural community's negotiations under free trade agreements.