Food systems/security in the Parliamentary Message 2025-28

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Food security is already anchored in the Swiss law on International Development and Humanitarian Assistance. In Switzerland’s effort to improve the living conditions of the populations in developing countries, it notes rural areas and with it, the improvement of the food situation, especially through agricultural production. Notably, the restoration and conservation of an ecological balance is also mentioned (Article 5).

The Parliamentary Message 2025-28 (German, French, Italian) recognises food insecurity as one of the contemporary challenges, naming it alongside energy, debt, inflation and climate change as the factors with immediate ramifications also for Switzerland (Ausgangslage). It further links food insecurity to climate change and conflict, which has been further aggravated through price developments in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war-induced shortage of fertiliser (page 25). Noting that one tenth of the world population is afflicted by hunger and one third by under- or malnutrition (page 10), it lists food security as particular focus for the period 2025-28 alongside health and the promotion of democracy (page 13). Nutrition is noted as a health-revelant factor, alongside education, air quality and water/wastewater (page 22).

The Message also outlines humanitarian instruments, such as food assistance and nutritional programmes for children and vulnerable people. Midterm goals are smallholder resilience and the promotion of agroecological supply chains, in essence establishing a food-systems approach to food security. This is further compounded by the aspiration to address the structural reasons for malnutrition and in the long term establish food systems which are shock-resilient and ecologically sustainable. An important outcome is access to sufficient nutritious and affordable food. Particular emphasis is placed on the modalities of the international political dialogue (both bilateral and multilateral), science-based research and the incentivisation of the private sector, particularly small and medium enterprises (page 42). Further, food systems transformation is recognised as a priority for the Interdepartmental Committee for International Development and Cooperation (IKEZ, page 54).

Finally, the improvement of food security is one of the four key objectives of Swiss humanitarian assistance (page 31), and this is further mentioned as one of the challenges to be addressed in conjunction with the «global measures of SECO and SDC’s Global Programmes» and with a view to establishing generally recognised standards by which it might be overcome (page 72).

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