little they consume. Some of the subsidies come with conditions, like protecting the countryside or promoting biodiversity. Then we also have hidden subsidies. Economists point, for example, to the reduced VAT rates that apply directly to soil cultivation services like sowing and ploughing, and indirectly to food products. Food in Switzerland is subject to a reduced VAT rate of 2.6 per cent because it counts as a basic necessity. Given that food consumption is not spread equally across the population, this creates distortions that are inefficient and not necessarily fair. Higher-income households also benefit from the reduced rate, because the food they buy normally tends to be more expensive. Sometimes, they even end up benefiting more. Economists believe these myriad subsidies and tax breaks not only distort the market by delaying structural changes but also have a negative climate and environmental impact. They doubt whether Switzerland could maintain a high degree of self-sufficiency during a crisis. 5 Is food a new religion? According to the Food Security Initiative, Switzerland should produce more of its own food by growing more crops for human consumption. This quickly leads into an emotive debate. Food has become a religion of sorts. Not in the sense that it delivers answers to existential questions like life after death or where we came from. But for people who devote themselves to it, food generates a sense of identity going far beyond what is on the plate. Eating vegetarian or vegan can turn into a mindset that extends into many areas, just as eating meat has become a political statement for some. The way we eat can be about much more than diet: animal welfare, sustainability, environmental protection, climate change, lifestyle, individualism, even world views as a whole. People no longer eat vegan, they are vegan. Or they are meat eaters. Naturally, we are talking about one of countless characteristics that define us. Hence, discussions about food preferences can quickly become heated. Another parallel with religion may be the ideological aspect, whereby people act according to strictly defined rules. In religion, they call it dogma. Like religious belief, food too can engender a sense of community – where you feel connected to like-minded people and distance yourself from those who think differently. Until well into the 20th century, it was almost impossible for a Protestant and a Catholic to tie the knot. Such marriages were frowned upon. Nowadays, there are vegans who deem it impossible to be in a relationship with someone who eats meat. There are vegans who are convinced that the way they eat is helping to save the planet. Some meat eaters firmly believe that eating as much meat as possible is their prerogative, arguing that they are merely doing what humans have always done. Sometimes they feel that non-meat eaters are taking the moral high ground and push back. Much like religion, food can be redemptive – delivering health, purity, and moral integrity. This can complicate relations at the dinner table. Switzerland pours huge subsidies into food production, and our farmers receive some of the highest levels of government support worldwide. Swiss Review / July 2026 / No. 3 7
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