Measures

The Foodstuffs Division takes steps to secure supplies when faced with imminent shortages and short- to medium-term disruptions in the value chains for essential goods. These measures can intervene to varying degrees in the free market economy, depending on the situation and risk level. They call for a clear definition of roles, powers and responsibilities in the private sector, crisis and emergency organisations, and specialised government bodies.

Monitoring

The external experts keep a close eye on and evaluate the supply situation for vital food and production resources as well as key services (logistics, energy, ICT). This monitoring is crucial to respond early to disruptions, fine-tune intervention measures and deploy them effectively when shortages become acute.

Compulsory stockpiling

While the NES Stockpiling Section oversees compulsory stocks, the Foodstuffs Division decides what specific items and quantities to stockpile. These compulsory reserves include various foodstuffs and production inputs.

Releasing compulsory stocks is one of the first courses of action to prevent supply chain shortages and shore up supply.

Before goods from compulsory stocks can be released, their intended use must be specified. This ensures that the released stocks are put to good use and solely to secure the supply of critical foodstuffs.

Further information on compulsory stocks

Production control (production and processing stages)

When faced with a severe and drawn-out shortage, the federal government can introduce production control measures to manage domestic food production. Regulations and incentives are used to boost self-sufficiency by optimising domestic production and making sure the population has enough to eat.

The federal government can encourage the production and processing of certain goods or issue rules on the quantities to be produced or processed and prioritise their intended use. This measure may require a lead time of several weeks or months, depending on the growing season and available production inputs.

Import promotion programmes

Import promotion is a relatively straightforward way to boost supply quickly. If the supply situation takes a turn for the worse, the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) may grant import relief. If these measures are not enough to guarantee supply, the National Economic Supply Act allows ordinances that restrict imports to be lifted during a crisis.

General sales restrictions (GABENA)

A general sales restriction is an initial measure to stem the uncontrolled outflow of certain foods due to panic buying and to achieve the fairest possible distribution of available goods. It involves capping the quantity of a particular product per purchase. This measure was put into practice at points of sale during the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance.

Food rationing (NARA)

In the face of prolonged and severe supply crises, food rationing can be rolled out to guarantee a fair minimum food ration for all members of the public. This calls for close cooperation between the Confederation, cantons and communes. In such a scenario, rationed goods can only be obtained by presenting a ration card at the point of sale.