Swiss food security vote too close to call as poll shows 49% opposition, 47% support

A first poll by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation shows a tight race for the food security initiative ahead of Switzerland’s Sept. 27 national vote, with 49 percent of eligible voters saying they would definitely or likely reject the proposal and 47 percent in favor, according to the GFS Bern research institute .

The survey, conducted between Aug. 3 and 16 with 17,212 respondents and a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points, found 4 percent undecided. More than one-third of voters remain unsettled on the issue, while 60 percent have already made up their minds: 27 percent firmly support the initiative, and 33 percent firmly oppose it .

Support varies sharply by party affiliation. Among Green Party sympathizers, 84 percent back the initiative, with 61 percent firmly in favor. The Social Democrats and Green Liberals also show majority support at 64 percent and 55 percent, respectively, despite both parties officially recommending a no vote. The Greens have granted their members a free vote. In contrast, majorities among center-right parties oppose the measure: 69 percent of FDP supporters, 62 percent of SVP supporters, and 58 percent of Mitte supporters .

Gender and age also divide voters. Lukas Golder, co-director of GFS Bern, noted that environmental policy concerns resonate strongly with women, with 55 percent of female respondents supporting the initiative compared to 39 percent of men. Younger voters aged 18 to 39 show 54 percent support, while the figure drops to 42 percent among those over 65 .

The initiative seeks to strengthen domestic food production, promote plant-based diets, and enhance drinking water protection. A separate poll on the same ballot, the neutrality initiative, shows 54 percent opposition and 42 percent support, with the Swiss People’s Party the only major party whose voters predominantly back it at 86 percent .

Older voters, particularly those over 65, are more skeptical of the neutrality proposal, a trend Golder attributes to their experiences during the Cold War, when Swiss neutrality was interpreted more flexibly. Urban voters reject the neutrality initiative at 59 percent, while rural areas show a narrow majority in favor .