The nutrition of a growing world population must be assured through a sustainable growth in agricultural production, improved processing, preservation and distribution of the food which has been produced, and the development of additional means of feeding both people and animals. The sustainability of these measures will have increasing importance. This constitutes a great challenge to agriculture and food economics. In addition, and not least, there is the expectation that agriculture and food economics contribute to the viability of the countryside. Altered Requirements of Consumers In Switzerland and in other industrialised western countries satisfactory provision of foodstuffs is assured.
Greater importance comes to be attached to criteria of quality.
But added to that are growing demands for user-friendliness. Heating, conserving, processing and packaging procedures lead to longer shelf-life, more efficient manufacture, greater exploitation and better nutritional qualities. There is a world-wide expectation of the reduction of protectionism and of the opening of borders for agricultural produce. For Switzerland, with her comprehensive protection of agriculture, this is a particular challenge. In view of possible European integration, adaptation of structures is required in both agricultural production and in processing and marketing.