10 March 2015 No 6/7 ISSN 1664-7963 Current Concerns PO Box CH-8044 Zurich Current Concerns Switzerland The international journal for independent thought, ethical standards, moral responsibility, Phone: +41 44 350 65 50 Fax: +41 44 350 65 51 and for the promotion and respect of public international law, human rights and humanitarian law E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.currentconcerns.ch English Edition of Zeit-Fragen Strengthening family farms Interview with Markus Müller, owner of a small farm The Swiss agricultural policy has em- barked on a course, which hardly com- plies with the guidelines given in the Federal Constitution. The direction pro- posed by the official agricultural policy (AP 2014–2017) breaks the backbone of domestic food production and food sup- ply with healthy natural groceries. The Swiss economy is characterised by an ex- tremely solid and stable structure with a variety of industries and a prevailing share of medium-sized and smaller com- Content What can the free trade agreement TTIP accomplish? page 3 The Müller family (picture ma) The crisis in the United States is a panies. These decentralised, small-scale many years ago, that family farms are su- manifestation of decline production and supply structures pro- perior to industrial agriculture in the fight page 4 mote supply security, diversity, innova- against hunger and poverty. Such recom- Water supplies in the Valais in danger tion and a healthy competitive environ- mendation, adapted to Swiss conditions, part 2 ment. We should not underestimate the must be very seriously considered in our pages 5/8 very positive consequences for the pres- part of the world. Documentation: ervation of jobs for Switzerland as an in- In addition, last year the UN year of A conversation with Syrian President dustrial centre and the related security of “Family Farming” was celebrated, and Bashar al-Assad income. Without earned income by work in particular Swiss major supermarket pages I–VII and production, an economy gets into chains were busy adverting by using idyl- trouble quite quickly, not rarely leading lic pictures of beautiful farms and fam- Do unilateral sanctions violate human to unwanted or even malicious dependen- ilies embedded in nature. There is no rights? cies. This security of earnings applies to question that we need a well-mixed de- page 9 all industrial branches including the local centralised structure of food production Europa and Russia – who wants war, farmers. Here, modern policy commits a and supply in our country. Our times are who wants peace? sin by creating a climate of existential times of unrest so that a largely secured page 10 threat for the farmers under wrong aus- supply of food from local production must “Putin is the perfect devil for the US pices (global competitiveness, globalisa- have first priority in our state and social and NATO” tion, free trade). For years, especially the politics. It is an essential contribution to page 11 smaller and medium-sized family farms strengthen our country’s sovereignty and have been struggling to survive. It makes must be promoted as such. Agricultural corporations appropri- ate the fertile farmlands of Ukraine you think twice that this struggle was de- We have asked Markus Müller, who man- page 12 liberately created on the part of politics, ages a medium-sized family farm, some especially the technocrats in the Feder- questions about the current situation of A visit to the Astrid Lindgren special al Office for Agriculture (FOAG). With Swiss family farms. school in Weisswasser regard to the so-called “export capacity page 13/14 and competitiveness” the local agricul- Current Concerns: Mr Müller, you are Meetings organised by the Genossen- ture is being blackmailed by structural re- managing a small farm. Can you briefly schaft Zeit-Fragen/Current Concerns at assessments and direct payments (or the introduce your company and your family the Leipzig book fair refusal of these direct payments). Instead to our readers? page 15 of family farms, industrial agriculture is Markus Müller: We own a small farm in “… and your own emergency supply?” to be promoted in Switzerland. This, even the village of Trutigen in the commune page 16 though reputable scientists worldwide stated in the World Agricultural Report continued on page 2 No 6/7 10 March 2015 Current Concerns Page 2 ”Strengthening the family farms” to produce more and cheaper. This does again relatively quickly, which again continued from page 1 not apply to agriculture. It is the nature leads to new investments, the bill for the that sets natural limits to us. The struc- farmer doesn’t add up. In addition, this Neuenkirch (Canton of Lucerne) work- tural change with bigger farms leads to a policy leads to ever-increasing produc- ing as full-time farmers; we, that is Rita more expensive production, because the tion costs. and Markus Müller with our children, Sil- corresponding mechanisation cost many vio, Aline and Leandro. We also work the times more. For example, in a small to What must be changed, so that the farm- Alp Suretta Sufers in the mountains of the medium farm one can feed the animals ing community in our country can ful- Canton of Grisons. just with a fork (costs: 35 francs), a fill the mandate laid down in the Federal 6.6 ha of agricultural land, 10 cows, 20 large farm needs a fodder mixing vehi- Constitution? sows, our dog Simba, a few chickens and cle (costs: 35,000 francs). The larger op- A simple financial back up for every cats belong to our farm. Besides animal eration has to produce 1,000 times more farm operating full-time is required in husbandry we are growing wheat and trit- than the smaller one, to balance these line with the initiative for small farmers, icale and we produce cherries, apples and costs, and this is impossible. And if it is launched by René Hochueli and Lorenz plums from standard fruit trees. Triticale is a done, there is a consequence on the price. Kunz. The Vereinigung zum Schutz der crop bred from crossing durum wheat (Trit- A result of higher production volumes is kleinen und mittleren Bauern (VKMB, icum aestivum) and rye (Secale cereale). It that prices fall. Only state subsidies can Association for the Protection of Small serves mainly as a feed grain because the help to keep up such kind of production. and Medium-sized Farms) under its Pres- baking ability is less good than the mixture This has nothing to do with market and ident René Hochueli launched a popular of wheat and rye. The cultivation of triticale market prices. initiative for a real traditional agricul- is similar to that of wheat. The plant has a ture with the slogan “Gnue Heu dune! good adaptability, is not demanding and also The official agricultural policy would (too much has happened)” on 1 Septem- suitable for higher altitudes. like to merge the medium-sized and ber 1983. “We want to remain farmers!” In addition, we produce 30,000 kWh of smaller farms into larger operating the committee chose as a headline for an solar electricity. We receive about 18,000 units. This structural reform is threat- article in the association’s own month- Swiss francs of subsidies per year from ening the existence of the rural family ly bulletin. Fight was announced to the the state. business. What needs to be done to pro- “meat factories with no connection to the vide a real prospect for the future fam- soil” and mass production businesses. Would you please explain your situation ily farms? The popular initiative “Food sovereign- as a manager of a farm in a few sentenc- A basic support for every full-time farm- ty” (www.ernaehrungsouveraeniteat.ch) es to us. er is required, as well as fewer regula- of Uniterre goes precisely into this di- Today, the work of managing a farm is tions and a market-oriented production, rection. rather the work of an office worker. You this means a production volume matched have to fill out forms permanently, imple- to the demand and no overproduction, so What do you expect from the Swiss citi- ment new legislation and adapt operations. that the prices are adequate. The current zens in relation to the preservation of the Work on the farm, taking care of the an- agricultural policy forces the farmers to agricultural family business? imals, machinery repair, are going short. increase the production volume in order Of course, I appreciate the many manifes- Authorities dictate, what we have to do to compensate falling prices. tations of sympathy to the farmers. On the and how we have to do it. other hand, I’d like to see a fair consumer With direct payments, farmers should behaviour and an attitude of understand- The farmers are again and again prompt- receive compensation for the non-com- ing of all citizens, that all companies have ed to be entrepreneurs. For free enter- pensatory product prices. Why are these a right to exist regardless of their size and prise, however, it is imperative to fix payments not sufficient for a long-term their location. Also, I expect their deter- the prices of manufactured products by existence of your business? mination to affirm their sympathies by po- means of a fair, cost-oriented calcula- The problem is not the amount of direct litical actions. tion and generate the price on the mar- payments, but rather the corresponding ket. Why is this principle rendered inop- regulations. If you first have to invest a Mr Müller, thank you very much for the erative with respect to agriculture? lot of money into the business to fulfill interview.