In hardly any other country are farm shops as widespread as in Switzerland – a product of short distances, high purchasing power and mutual trust. Swiss agriculture is often perceived internationally as the epitome of timeless tradition. But behind this idyllic image, a profound structural change is taking place. While wholesalers dominate the markets worldwide, Swiss farmers are increasingly focusing on direct marketing: one in five farms sold some of their produce directly from the farm in 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In this video, my colleague Alexandra Gföhler summarises the most important facts of the article: This trend is less an expression of nostalgia than an economic adjustment strategy in a market in which, according to the Agricultural Information Service, farmers often receive only CHF0.30 ($0.38) of every franc spent in the retail trade, compared to CHF0.45 in 1990. In order to survive, Swiss farms are developing into hybrid companies that ...
