Digitalisation and Robotics in Swiss Organic Vegetable Farming

Digitalisation and robotics in Swiss organic vegetable farming face challenges due to declining manual labour. This study examines two scenarios: 'Small is beautiful!' with increased robot adoption, reducing pesticide use and boosting farmer income; and 'Back to dairy industry' with limited robot development, leading to market pressure and sector shifts. Policy recommendations include promoting digitalisation, fostering open innovation, integrating digital specialists, improving economic conditions for digital adoption, and encouraging agricultural diversification. The report stresses the need for secure, adaptable robots and clearer data protection laws, alongside support for alternative innovations and traditional weed control methods in the negative scenario.