Switzerland on course to reject synthetic pesticide ban proposal

Switzerland on course to reject synthetic pesticide ban proposal

GENEVA: Switzerland seemed on course yesterday to reject proposals to make it the first European country to ban synthetic pesticides following a campaign that saw the idyllic image of peaceful Swiss Alpine pastures ruptured by fiery debates. Polling stations closed at midday (1000 GMT) and market researchers GFS Bern projected that 61 percent of voters had followed the government's advice and said no to the publically-proposed initiatives. Meanwhile GFS Bern said 61 percent also seem set to have approved a COVID-19 law that would extend government powers to fight the pandemic and mitigate its consequences on society and the economy.

The pollsters predicted that 57 percent had approved controversial sweeping new police powers to combat terrorism, despite warnings from the United Nations and Amnesty International. The results are expected to be known by the end of day. No major country has so far banned man-made pesticides. Bhutan announced in 2012 that it wanted to become the first nation in the world to turn its home-grown food and farmers 100 percent organic.

Switzerland's national vote on two anti-pesticide proposals was the culmination of a campaign marked by heated arguments between farmers. The campaign boiled over in the western Vaud region when arsonists torched