A Look Back as an Organic Farmer, and a Look at Today and the Future as President of Bio Suisse
Brändli U
ABSTRACT
This article traces the journey of a farmer who took over a dairy farm in the Swiss mountains (900–1,000 metres above sea level) at a young age. Starting as a conventional system, the farm has been converted to organic farming after a few years and benefited from the very dynamic growth phase of the organic market from the mid-1990s onwards.
The organic farm was continuously developed, and animal welfare was significantly improved by converting from tethered housing to a free-range barn. More attention was paid to animal health, and the use of antibiotics was minimised. Feeding was adapted to the location, and concentrated feed was continuously reduced until it was eliminated. Support was provided by various FiBL projects, such as Project Pro-Q, Feed-no-Food, and a Farmers' Field School that was part of the European project Aniplan.
After working in the emerging organic milk market and over 25 years of farm management, the author was elected president of Bio Suisse in 2011. Bio Suisse's strict guidelines guarantee a high level of animal welfare, and, in particular for ruminants, feeds that are appropriate to the location and species. The report lists the most relevant standards for cattle, pig and poultry farming.
Finally, there is an assessment of how livestock farming in Switzerland could or should develop. While the authorities are proposing ambitious measures in their Climate Strategy for Agriculture and Food 2050, politicians often slow down the necessary steps for implementation. Organic farming already largely meets these targets, as confirmed by a FiBL meta-study in 2025. Political framework conditions are also relevant for organic farms, but customer acceptance is much more important – good sales of products at reasonable prices. It is therefore important to identify potential trends at an early stage to continue to meet the expectations of loyal customers in the future. Innovative organic farms are leading the way in organic livestock farming and gathering knowledge and experience that others can benefit from. It is quite conceivable that some developments will later become binding for all Bio Suisse farms via guidelines.
