A referendum day today in Switzerland, where the population is called to express themselves on various issues, from the ban on synthetic pesticides to the strengthening of the fight against terrorism.
The results should be released this evening.
The issue of pesticides is particularly felt, which saw heated debates among farmers during the election campaign.
Especially since the country hosts one of the largest producers of plant protection products, the Basel group Syngenta, acquired in 2017 by the Chinese giant ChemChina.
One of the proposals on which the popular vote is being asked calls for a ban on these products within ten years. The import of food produced abroad using these pesticides would also be prohibited. Another initiative calls for a tightening of the environmental requirements that affect the payment of federal subsidies to farmers, rewarding those who do not use chemicals. Environmentalists and the left have supported both initiatives against which the government accuses them of wanting to "undermine the country's food sovereignty". According to polls, both could be rejected.
Among the rules to be voted on is also a law that includes various measures aimed at further reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.