Switzerland’s sugar industry faces a new market regime

In its 100-year history, Switzerland’s sugar industry has lived through practically every kind of economy, from liberal market regime to planned economy. Domestic sugar production has been moulded by political decisions which on several occasions ended in plebiscites and rested more on emotional than on objective considerations. This was also the origin of the quantitative restrictions in force until now. The farm policy reform introduced in 1996 and continuing in its 2002 version was overdue. Harmonization with the European markets is urgently needed in the context of general globalization. Compared with the previous market regime, the sugar industry gains substantially greater scope for entrepreneurship. At the same time, it bears increased responsibility and risk. Thanks in large part to the financial aid from the federal government, the domestic sugar industry can survive today’s difficult world market conditions. The new market regime fills the sugar industry with greater hope than it had 100 years ago.