On average, 16 percent of agricultural land in Switzerland is managed by organic farms. In the case of legumes, organic production already accounts for 29 percent of the cultivated area, and for vegetables 21 percent. Organic viticulture, on the other hand, is below average with 10 percent of the vineyard area.

Excerpt from the press release of the Swiss Federal Statistical Office FSO

Less bread wheat and sugar beet
In 2019, the majority of agricultural land (UAA) comprised natural meadows and pastures (605 700 ha or 58% of UAA). Arable farming was practiced on 398 800 hectares (38% of LN). The
other areas (38 200 ha; 4% of the LN) consisted, among others, of vineyards (13 400 ha) and orchards (7000 ha).

The crops developed differently in 2019. The area under bread wheat (73 600 ha) decreased by 2.8%, and that under sugar beet shrank by another 1000 hectares in 2019 to 17 600 hectares. The area under vegetables also decreased (11 900 ha; -2.1%) after growing for several years. In contrast, sunflower cultivation increased in 2019 (5900 ha; +9.6%).
Areas under oats (1700 ha, +5.2%) and spelt (5700 ha, +6%) also grew particularly strongly. Some niche crops such as millet and sorghum, hemp and lentils have also increased to
on the rise.

Organic farming is now an integral part of Swiss agriculture and is practiced on 16% of the land. The organically farmed areas account for 21% in the case of vegetables, for
legumes 29% and for vines 10%. Organic sugar beets, on the other hand, are not very common, with only 1%.

Fewer and fewer dairy cows and pigs, more poultry
As in previous years, cattle numbers continued to decline in 2019 (-1.2%). This trend was particularly pronounced for dairy cows (554,600 head, -1.7%). Since 1999, the
Dairy cow herds decreased by 19%, the number of breeding farms also decreased (-47%).

Spurred by the success of organic production, beef production gained importance analogously to previous years: the number of suckler cows increased by 2.2%. Their numbers tripled within 20 years (1999: 41 200; 2019: 128 300). In the field of pork production, both the number of producers (5800; -5.7%) and animal stocks (-4.1%) decreased.

Poultry farming recorded an overall upswing in 2019 (+2.5%). Due to increasing demand, the number of laying hens increased by 5.3% compared to 2018. 18% of which are raised under
bred with an organic label. In contrast, the number of fattening poulets remained stable year-on-year. Sheep and goat numbers also remained virtually unchanged in 2019. The latter are
mainly kept in the cantons of Bern, Grisons, Valais and St. Gallen. Three quarters of the dairy sheep are bred according to the rules of organic farming.

So the shift to organic production is definitely evident in meat production: the number of suckler cows increased by 2.2 percent in 2019, while the number of dairy cows decreased by 1.7 percent, according to the FSO (FSO) in a Communication.

Sisag AG has already presented the platform at the leading international trade fair for alpine technologies INTERALPIN. In the meantime, the platform is being implemented at three customers. These include, among others, the Bern Jungfrau Bahnen.

The project was geared to speed right from the start. The target: A first prototype was to be developed within four months to be shown at the INTERALPIN industry trade fair, the world's largest trade fair for alpine technologies. Therefore, the bbv experts developed an architecture based on Microsoft Azure according to an agile approach so that the product can be used quickly and can be continuously expanded to meet further requirements.

"Without bbv, we wouldn't have been able to develop the prototype in such a short time," Arnold says, continuing, "The response at the show also showed that there is a lot of interest in SisControl."

The platform is now being implemented at three customers. These include the Bern Jungfrau Railways. There are also other interested parties, Arnold confirms. And in the future, "SisControl" will also be used in-house. "We are currently in the process of setting up an internal control center from which ropeway installations can be monitored remotely. "SisControl" is the core application here. In this way, we want to be able to react more quickly to problems at the operators. We want to offer this service as an additional service," he explains.

SisControl is based, among other things, on data collected by sensors. Wind or movement data is displayed directly to the maintenance staff. On the dashboard, the staff can also view forecasts from the weather services and projections of visitor numbers and thus take anticipatory measures. Operating data - such as condition data from sensors on components - is in turn stored for comprehensive evaluations.

And the cooperation with bbv is also to continue, Arnold confirms: "We are in contact for the development of further products." In addition, some Sisag managers recently took advantage of bbv's Academy offer, he says: "The workshop on software modernization inspired us for the future."

You can find the complete Success Story about Sisag here.

The Sisag AG

Even if the Corona pandemic has temporarily pushed the issue into the background, shopping is a burden on the environment. The mining of raw materials, the industrial production of products and the transport around the globe blow tons of CO2 and other pollutants into the atmosphere.

Digitec Galaxus wanted to know whether Swiss consumers would compensate for the CO2 footprint of their online consumption through a voluntary levy. The company itself plans to introduce a voluntary CO2 levy for orders at the end of May and to show transparently how much CO2 is caused by the purchase.

The online retailer commissioned the GfK market research institute to carry out a representative survey. Survey was commissioned. A total of 501 people in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland were surveyed.

The result: one in three Swiss residents would like to have the option of offsetting the CO2 emissions of their online purchases. Another third of the population finds such an option unnecessary or is undecided (see chart below).

Two trenches: Rösti and age

If you take a closer look at the answers, you can see two rifts. The first is the Röstigraben: German-speaking Swiss in particular would like to have a CO2 compensation option. In French-speaking Switzerland, on the other hand, only a good quarter of respondents answered that they would definitely or "rather" welcome the option of Co2-neutral shopping. Men also have a clearer opinion than women: More of them find offsetting both sensible and senseless.

The second divide is between the generations: It is mainly young Swiss people under the age of 30 and residents with a median household income of between 7,000 and 12,000 Swiss francs a month who want to reduce their ecological footprint.

Young and women like it high percentage

The survey participants were also asked how much they would be willing to pay if they had the option of CO2 compensation when shopping online. According to the survey, more than half of the Swiss would be willing to donate part of the value of the goods to environmental projects - even if, for 15 out of 100 respondents, it might not even be one percent of the purchase amount. A good quarter of those surveyed said that they would use the compensation option at most if it did not involve any direct costs.

Incidentally, women are much more willing to donate than men. The same applies to young Swiss people: among the under-30s, more than two-thirds would shell out money for environmental compensation. Seven percent of them would even be prepared to pay between 10 and 20 percent of the value of the goods - and one percent even more.

The stingiest are the 50- to 59-year-olds: For more than a third of those surveyed, reducing their carbon footprint is not worth a cent. The high-income earners are also big spenders: More than half of those who earn more than 12,000 Swiss francs per month in their household would donate more than one percent of the value of goods to environmental compensation.

Due to the extraordinary situation in connection with the Corona crisis, AFC Air Flow Consulting AG is working on a new air hygiene protection concept for companies. First, the infrastructure, room occupancy and ventilation situation are analyzed. Subsequently, a ventilation strategy is developed on the basis of simulations and computational evidence.

This is intended to help reduce the risk of infection. With AFC's protection concept, businesses should be able to reopen more quickly. According to the company, higher capacity utilization is also possible without increasing the risk of infection.

In the new development, AFC will be supported by Stefan Kühn of the International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Systems (INCS Ltd) advise.

The AFC Air Flow Consulting AG was spun off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) more than 20 years ago. The company specializes in air hygiene. It deals, for example, with the dispersion of particles and air pollutants in buildings.

AFC's core competence is computer simulation, which can be used to visualize air flows. This makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of various measures on air flow and the dispersion of pollutants.

Princeton University researchers have developed a framework to understand and compare urban food systems in terms of climate change, water use and land use. The results will help urban planners assess the impact of a food system and implement appropriate measures.

According to a Explanation by Anu Ramaswami, co-author of the study, the researchers found large differences in food systems both within countries and across borders. Nevertheless, they have succeeded in developing a generally applicable methodology through which the consequences of political measures on the environment can be assessed in advance.

In the study, greenhouse gas emissions as well as water and land use of the food systems of two Indian and two American metropolitan regions were examined. These are Delhi and Puducherry on the one hand and New York and Minneapolis on the other. With regard to the two American cities, it has been shown that a change in the dietary habits of the inhabitants, in which meat is replaced by lentils and vegetables, would lead to a 34 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

In India, on the other hand, rice cultivation is a key contributor to emissions. Replacing rice with wheat would have a sustainable impact on the footprint of both Delhi and Puducherry.

To deal with food waste 

In turn, if food waste management were improved, this would have a positive effect for all four cities. The measures needed to achieve this, however, would be different in all four metropolitan areas. An increase in agriculture, on the other hand, whether using conventional or vertical methods, would have only a minor impact, according to the statement.

The research now provides a method for assessing the environmental impact of food system policies, says co-author Dana Boyer. However, the many differences in food systems must also be taken into account. These would exist in terms of culture, health and also equity.

Yova can open up new markets with its sustainable investment products. In a financing round that has just been completed, the Zurich-based start-up has received more than CHF 4 million. This clears the way for the fintech company to enter other European countries.

Following strong growth in German-speaking Switzerland and the move into French-speaking Switzerland planned for the end of April, the focus of European expansion in the second half of the year will be on Germany as the third market. After that, Yova plans to become active in other countries.

"Entering the German market will further accelerate our business development. We are in cooperation talks with various financial service providers and insurance companies, as they are increasingly feeling the increased demand for sustainable, transparent investment products from customers," explains Yova co-founder and CEO Tillmann Lang in a media release.

Strong partners 

Yova will "not only come out of the current crisis in good shape," but will "substantially grow its business in the near future," says investor Carole Ackermann, a member of the board of directors at Alliance Switzerland and BKW, her commitment. Besides her belong among others WIVenture, the co-founder of the VZ Wealth Center, Andreas Reinhardt, the CEO of Salt, Pascal Grieder, and Eva Richterich, member of the management of Ricola, to investors.

With Yova, customers can choose from 16 topics such as climate change, renewable energy or access to education. In addition, eight exclusion criteria such as tobacco or weapons can be selected. Depending on their risk tolerance, they then receive suggestions from a mix of 400 companies in which Yova invests. The mix of companies can be customized, favorites can be added from over 800 additional companies. The final portfolio consists of 30 to 40 stocks and government bonds.

This year, a number of innovative companies were again nominated for the Business Environment Award. This award recognizes companies that rely on innovative products, technology, services or business models and use them to protect the environment.

The nominees include, for example, the French-speaking Swiss company Kitrowhich aims to help the catering industry manage food waste. It offers an automated solution for this purpose. Furthermore, the clothing manufacturer Calida from Oberkirch LU, was nominated for a completely compostable collection made with fabric made from 100 percent cellulose. The ski boot manufacturer Heierling from Davos develops the first ski boot capable of circulation. Also the AGRO Energy Schwyz AG was nominated. It was able to convince with a district heating project with a large-scale heat storage.

The three finalists are to be announced on July 2. The winner of the environmental award will be chosen on September 17. The prize is sponsored in partnership by the Swiss Environmental Foundation as well as the association Go for impact. The jury president is former Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard.

"Switzerland needs the Business Environment Prize because it provides incentives to strive for economic success in ecological terms," Leuthard is quoted as saying in the statement. As the world champion in innovation, Switzerland has the best prerequisites to take on a pioneering role in the area of sustainable business.

The complete list of nominated companies is available on the Internet at evident.

Every week since the start of the lockdown in Switzerland, the online comparison service Comparis and the market research institute Marketagent Switzerland have asked the population to judge the quality of the Corona crisis management of the following players: Government, healthcare (hospitals, doctors' offices, medical hotlines, etc.), own family, own employer, financial actors (banks, insurance companies, national bank, etc.) army and Swiss population. Over the Easter weekend, respondents rated the behavior of the Swiss population as sufficient for the first time. 

Behavior of the population is also accepted by younger people for the first time 

The Swiss population has improved from a score of 3.8 to 4.0 in four weeks (grading scale 1 to 6). For the first time, the population's behavior is also accepted by younger people. Those aged 40 to 49 gave a 4.0. The under-20s were particularly harsh a month ago: their rating has risen from 3.3 a month ago to 3.9 nonetheless. Among 30- to 39-year-olds, the rating also rose to 3.9 (from 3.4). 

"It is possible that the current positive development in infection figures shows the population how much they have achieved with their behavior and contributes to a more positive evaluation of their own behavior," says Liane Nagengast, market researcher at Marketagent Switzerland. 

Half of respondents give their employer good to very good marks

Employers across all generations may not have been able to improve their score of 4.7 since the last survey. But the proportion of people who gave their own employer a grade of "good" to "very good" has risen more sharply than in any other category since the lockdown began - from 41.1 to 48.9 percent. This is another significant increase of 7.8 percentage points.

The German-speaking Swiss have now overtaken those in Ticino in terms of satisfaction with their employer. Here, 51.5 percent of respondents gave their employers marks between 5 and 6 over the Easter period (7.6 percentage points more than in the first survey). In Ticino, meanwhile, the proportion fell slightly since last week from 52 to 48.9 percent.

"Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the Swiss economy. Their manageable size allows them to react quickly to new challenges, adapt processes accordingly and deploy staff in the best possible way. In combination with the short-time work scheme and the quickly granted crisis loans by the federal government, the Swiss economy is doing very well in international comparison," observes Comparis financial expert Frédéric Papp. The key, however, is an early but careful exit from the lockdown. This is because the "trade, transport and hospitality" sector in particular is threatened by massive losses in value creation due to the loss of final demand of up to 25 percent*. "Losses of this magnitude will lead to further layoffs," says Papp.  

Camp fever among teenagers

After weeks without a fixed school or apprenticeship structure at home, the fourth survey reveals that teenagers are suffering from cabin fever. Family crisis management still tops the rankings, along with that of health care, with an overall rating of 5.2. But among 15- to 19-year-olds, the percentage of respondents who rated their own family as "good" to "very good" plummeted by a whopping 12.8 percentage points last week to just 65.5 percent. That's lower than any time during the entire survey period. The teenage group gave their own family a total rating of 4.9 in the Easter week (after 5.1 in the previous week).

www.comparis.ch