December 23, 2024 | 17:00 GMT +7
December 23, 2024 | 17:00 GMT +7
Hotline: 0913.378.918
One initiative proposes to end subsidies to farmers who use such pesticides, while another one would ban them altogether within 10 years.
Supporters point to worrying levels of pesticides in water, and damage to plants, animals and insects.
But Swiss farmers warn the proposals will put many of them out of business.
Pesticides are chemical or biological agents used to control pests.
Voting is also taking place on Sunday on other initiatives: anti-terrorism legislation, a new tax on fossil fuels and emergency Covid-19 funding.
Switzerland's system of direct democracy means all major decisions in the Alpine nation are taken at the ballot box.
Campaigners simply have to gather 100,000 signatures to ensure a nationwide vote.
If approved, the pesticide initiatives would go much further than the handful of towns and regions around the world that have already banned all synthetic pesticides.
It would also be of greater global significance than the ban imposed by Bhutan in 2013, as Switzerland is the home of the world's biggest pesticide manufacturer, Syngenta.
"I'm going to vote 'Yes' - we have to think about the future. Pesticides damage our health," Geneva resident Marie Lenbaus said.
Both proposals are widely backed by young urban voters.
But Swiss farmers say they are already complying with some of the strictest rules in Europe. They have seen their jobs and income decline over the last 20 years, and now they are furious, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Bern reports.
"You find a lot of people, especially in the cities, they have not even a clue what farming means," said Martin Haab, president of Zurich Farmers Association.
"So, if they have two tomatoes in their garden in front of the window, they think they understand farming and they know how to do organic farming," he said.
Switzerland's farming lobby is strong, and the latest polls show they might just have the edge, our correspondent says.
But she adds that even if voters reject a ban, this debate over pesticides has been so intense that it will not go away. Everyone agrees the country's pristine environment must be protected - they just do not agree on how.
(BBC)
(VAN) The US poultry processing industry has long relied on illegal workers, but huge adjustments are going to have to be made after President-elect Donald Trump takes power on 20 January 2025.
(VAN) Drought is projected to affect 75% of the world's population by 2050. Take that in.
(VAN) Voice of Animals, a Russian NGO, has prepared amendments to the draft veterinary regulation in the poultry industry, which is scheduled to come into force on 1 August 2025.
(VAN) From the FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa.
(VAN) A year of change for both the UK’s broiler and egg sectors is highlighted in this year’s Andersons annual Outlook report.
(VAN) Agriculture is a necessary part of human existence; on a global scale, unfortunately, it contributes to the climate crisis.
(VAN) The Boiling River regularly reaches 86oC - with drastic consequences for the surrounding rainforest.