Switzerland

Updates + Overviews

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Moratorium

National: Switzerland has a moratorium on the commercial cultivation of GM crops and on animals. In November 2005, the majority of the Swiss population (55.7%) and all cantons voted in a referendum, to prohibit the use of genetically modified animals and plants in Swiss agriculture for a period of five years. In March 2010 the Swiss Parliament extended its ban on the cultivation of genetically modified plants for another three years until November 2013. In 2012 the Swiss Parliament voted for a second extension of the moratorium until December 2017 and at the end of 2015 the Federal council announced to extend the moratorium for another five years till 2021, which now the Parlament has to decide on. Since the beginning of GMO, several cantons and regions have already declarared themselves GMO free, other regional initiative are pending. More information about the moratorium in Switzerland (German). Prolongation du moratoir (French)

Regional: 
Seven cantons and two regions have declared themselves GMO free (for the moment no legal status but only political) : Canton Ticino, Canton Jura, Canton Genève, Canton Neuchâtel, Canton Bern, Canton Appenzell (in woodland areas), Canton Fribourg, region Oberes Suhrental (AG) and region Wägital. 

84 municipalities have declared themselves GMO-free:
 
AG: Baldingen, Böbikon, Kirchleerau, Moosleerau, Reitnau, Rekingen, Rothrist, Wiliberg 
BE: Grafenried, Prêles, Rebévelier, Renan 
BL: Arlesheim, Binningen, Bottmingen, Ettingen, Münchenstein, Muttenz, Oberwil, Pfeffingen, Reinach, Therwil 
FR: Barberêche, Botterens, Broc, Courtepin-Courtaman, Granges-Paccot, Kleinbösingen, Morlon, Murist, Pont-en-Ogoz 
GE: Cologny 
GL: Betschwanden, Glarus, Haslen, Leuggelbach, Linthal, Luchsingen, Riedern, Rüti 
JU: Soyhières 
LU: Egolzwil, Horw, Kriens, Luzern, Meggen, Ufhusen, Wauwil 
NE: Cernier, Chézard-St-Martin, Engollon, Les Planchettes, Savagnier, Valangin 
SO: Brügglen, Dulliken, Hauenstein-Ifenthal, Hüniken, Rohr b. Olten, Starrkirch-Wil 
SZ: Gersau, Ingenbohl-Brunnen, Innerthal, Tuggen, Vorderthal 
VD: Aclens, Bellerive, Bournens, Chavannes-le-Veyron, Colombier-sur-Morges, Cuarnens, Dizy, Ferreyres, Grens, L'Isle, Marchissy, Mauraz, Prahins, St-George 
VS: Geschinen ( im Oberwallis), Isérables, Münster-Geschinen, Riederalp ( im Oberwallis) 
ZG: Neuheim

(Updated in April 2016 Information provided by SAG Schweizer Allianz Gentechfrei)

Presentations

Lucern, April 2009
Herbert Karch, Swiss Working Group for Genetic Engineering (SAG)
Presentation: GMO-free Switzerland (pdf, English)
Swiss Moratorium

Bonn, May 2008GMO-free by democratic vote (Audio File, mp3, 4MB, German), Maya Graf, Swiss Parliament & GM moratorium initiative Switzerland