Suchergebnisse

The First World War was a turning point for the agriculture in Switzerland. The once export oriented, dairy domi- nated sector was from now on guided towards responding to the need of the home market. The instrument to organise this shift from dairy to tillage was the agricultural policy which was basically shaped by the industrial elite and executed by the farming community. In between these two groups, with links to both, were the agricultural scientists, who played a crucial role in implementing the agricultural policy. This policy was made neither by the farmers nor their representatives, but it integrated the agricultural community into this nation-state project. This inclusion was one of the main reasons, why – in a sharp contrast to Germany and Austria – the farmers in Switzerland did not turn to the right politically in the crisis of the interwar-period. ; The First World War was a turning point for the agriculture in Switzerland. The once export oriented, dairy domi- nated sector was from now on guided towards responding to the need of the home market. The instrument to organise this shift from dairy to tillage was the agricultural policy which was basically shaped by the industrial elite and executed by the farming community. In between these two groups, with links to both, were the agricultural scientists, who played a crucial role in implementing the agricultural policy. This policy was made neither by the farmers nor their representatives, but it integrated the agricultural community into this nation-state project. This inclusion was one of the main reasons, why – in a sharp contrast to Germany and Austria – the farmers in Switzerland did not turn to the right politically in the crisis of the interwar-period.

Plant breeding in Switzerland in the 20th century can be portioned into three periods: In the first period up to the First World War, when wheat growing was marginalised by cheap grain imports into Switzerland from overseas since the 1870s, the two research and plant breeding institutions worked closely together with the farmer-breeders. Especially Mont-Calme in the French speaking area got actually inspired in their breeding work by local farmer-breeders. In the second period, from the First World War until the 1990s, the state now took a keen interest in and encouraged wheat growing by various measures. The scientific plant breeders in the agricultural colleges took the lead in developing the breading methods and the 1921 largely by civil servants established Swiss Seed-Breed Association became a useful tool for the scientists and the administration. Both, the scientific community as well as the administration, were eager to contribute to the food security of the people by improving the seed quality namely of potatoes and wheat. In this period, the farmer-breeders, however, successfully insisted that they still were, and were also called breeders and not 'only' multipliers. In the 1990s the state partially gave up its involvement in the breeding process. Plant breeding now became more and more influenced by big private firms, and the Swiss Seed-Breed Association was transformed into an organisation of 'seed multipliers'. At the same time, however, some individual farmers were newly trying to revive the breeding activities by beginning the process of selecting plants towards locally adapted sorts. ; Plant breeding in Switzerland in the 20th century can be portioned into three periods: In the first period up to the First World War, when wheat growing was marginalised by cheap grain imports into Switzerland from overseas since the 1870s, the two research and plant breeding institutions worked closely together with the farmer-breeders. Especially Mont-Calme in the French speaking area got actually inspired in their breeding work by local farmer-breeders. In the second period, from the First World War until the 1990s, the state now took a keen interest in and encouraged wheat growing by various measures. The scientific plant breeders in the agricultural colleges took the lead in developing the breading methods and the 1921 largely by civil servants established Swiss Seed-Breed Association became a useful tool for the scientists and the administration. Both, the scientific community as well as the administration, were eager to contribute to the food security of the people by improving the seed quality namely of potatoes and wheat. In this period, the farmer-breeders, however, successfully insisted that they still were, and were also called breeders and not 'only' multipliers. In the 1990s the state partially gave up its involvement in the breeding process. Plant breeding now became more and more influenced by big private firms, and the Swiss Seed-Breed Association was transformed into an organisation of 'seed multipliers'. At the same time, however, some individual farmers were newly trying to revive the breeding activities by beginning the process of selecting plants towards locally adapted sorts.