Why is agricultural policy not more environmentally ambitious? Comparing failed attempts in Switzerland

Switzerland is a country that has ambitious agri-environmental objectives, but its targets are continuously missed. The paper at hand examines this contradiction by describing and analysing three recent attempts to transform agricultural policies change the unfortunate situation. cases were compared in qualitative multimethod research design along dimensions potentially relevant for explaining reform failures. While depicted involved distinctive governance pathways, they all failed meet their objectives because of large disadvantages realisation would have generated. These included, above all, reduction national self-sufficiency rate. It concluded strategy providing incentives mere extensification reached dead end. New strategies tackle food consumption patterns appear be more promising. • Recent “green” Swiss policy failed, albeit on different levels. A common reason failure was an apparent target conflict with self-sufficiency. Need shift from production intensities broader measures.