Swiss Agriculture: Arable Farming between the Alps and Lakes

Description

Can you imagine what our diet would look like without wheat, spelt, or barley? In fact, all cereal grains were only brought to Europe by immigrants from the Near East. After settling down, cereal porridge was the main food for people for centuries. Why do so many people suffer from grain intolerance today?

This course section discusses the historical and cultural significance of arable farming, the effects of modern cereal breeding, and the current regulations for the use of fertilizers and plant protection products.

The most important arable crop in Switzerland is cereals. On around 140,000 hectares of the nearly 400,000 hectares of arable land, bread cereals for human nutrition and fodder cereals for animals are produced. Potatoes, rapeseed, sugar beets, and sunflowers are other arable crops. Almost all cultivated plants were introduced to Europe from other countries. Breeding has improved the yield and characteristics of the plants. For example, the baking quality of wheat was promoted by increasing the gluten content, to which some people with celiac disease react. Fertilizers and plant protection products support plant production. The so-called PPP must now be recorded within the framework of an overall farm nutrient balance for each crop as a prerequisite for the allocation of direct payments.

Course instructor: Franziska Borer, Dipl. Ing. Agr. ETH, Agricultural and Environmental Educator

Highlights

• Course on the history and significance of arable farming in Switzerland
• Discussion on modern cereal breeding and agricultural practices
• Focus on grain intolerances and current agricultural regulations

General Information

The course takes place at the Volkshochschule Solothurn and covers the historical development as well as the current challenges in Swiss agriculture. It is led by Franziska Borer, an expert in agricultural and environmental education.

Location

Hauptbahnhofstrasse 8, 4500 Solothurn, Schweiz

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