Pesticide-free but not organic: Switzerland offers an alternative pathway to wean agriculture off chemicals 

Getting farmers to switch to organic farming is hard. Could giving up pesticides while still being able to use synthetic fertilisers help them to make the transition? Three years ago, pesticides took centre stage in Swiss political discourse. Under the country’s direct democracy system, citizens had the opportunity to vote for a complete ban on the use of pesticides and make the Alpine nation a 100% organic-farming oasis. However, when the votes were counted in June 2021, the pesticide initiative failed to win a majority...