Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOD AND DRINK

Zurich mandates organic food for hospitals, schools and cafeterias

Hospitals, schools, canteens and a range of other venues in Zurich will need to ensure the majority of their food is organic, after the council passed an initiative.

Published: 1 July 2022 16:22 CEST
Organic food will become mandated in the canton of Zurich. Photo by Brad on Unsplash
Organic food will become mandated in the canton of Zurich. Photo by Brad on Unsplash

The initiative, passed on Wednesday by 71 votes to 41, stipulates that at least 50 percent of the offerings must be organic. 

It applies to retirement and care centres, hospitals, day care centres, schools, canteens and cafeterias. 

QUIZ: Would you pass Zurich’s Swiss citizenship test?

Environment and Health Director Andreas Hauri acknowledged that there may be some problems in converting over to organic food, but said he was “convinced we can still increase the proportion”. 

The city said it will now begin to examine how it can boost the proportion of organic foods to the required levels. 

The city’s nutrition strategy already calls for a greater amount of food from the surrounding region, but had previously been silent on the amount of organic food that should be included. 

While the initiative passed, there was some opposition from the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP). 

The SVP said the change was “far removed from decency and reality”, arguing that it sent the wrong signals to developing countries. 

READ MORE: Will Switzerland be able to feed itself in the future?

The initiative is “an affront to people in poor countries who do not know how to feed themselves” said the SVP’s Johann Widmer. 

The Free Democratic Party (FDP) also opposed the change, saying it was unclear how the new standards would be implemented. 

Martina Zürcher asked how the 50 percent requirement should be measured. 

“In kilograms? In francs?” she said. 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

ZURICH

Why does Zurich need airbags on the front of its trams?

Due to a recent spate of fatal accidents, authorities in Switzerland’s largest city are looking for ways to make tramway tracks more secure for pedestrians.

Published: 23 April 2024 12:40 CEST
Why does Zurich need airbags on the front of its trams?

Three fatal tram accidents occurred in Zurich in the span of five days in early March.

In one, a pedestrian fell between the tram and the platform at the Oerlikon Ost stop; the victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died the next morning.

Next, a cyclist collided with a tram in District 5, succumbing to his injuries the next day.

The same day, another pedestrian fell under a tram at Zurich’s main train station, dying at the scene of the accident.

Though all three events happened in quick succession, accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists colliding with public transport in Zurich are not a new phenomenon.

“In recent years, accidents involving personal injuries have increased steadily,” said city official Michele Romagnolo. “People are crushed by trams and die. We can’t stand idly by.”

What is being done to prevent this type of deaths in the future?

The Zurich Transport Authority (VBZ) and tram manufacturer Alstom are currently testing airbags that inflate when a tram hits a pedestrian.

This mechanism would be triggered by a sensor on the front of the driver’s cab, and is intended to reduce the impact and consequences of a collision between the trams and pedestrians or cyclists.

According to Heinz Schulthess, president of the tram drivers’ association, “in head-on accidents, people first hit their heads on the window and then fall to the ground. An airbag pushes a person away, largely preventing the impact and minimising the risk of death.”

During this test phase, engineers are also looking into ways to increase the speed of airbag deployment and develop a mechanism for quick folding, so that the tram can resume operation immediately after an incident.

When would this system be deployed?

The trial run is expected to be completed in summer of 2024.

“What happens next depends on the results,” the VBZ spokesperson Leo Herrmann said.

Are any other safety measures under consideration as well?

According to Schulthess, another way to increase tram safety would be to install red LED lights along the tracks on the ground.

They would serve to would warn people crossing the tram tracks while staring at their smartphones.

“The main cause of accidents are pedestrians crossing the street without paying attention,” he said.

SHOW COMMENTS