Geneva proposes an alternative to grubbing up vines
Keystone-SDA
Faced with a major crisis in Swiss winegrowing, the canton of Geneva wants to introduce an alternative to uprooting grape vines.
This content was published on
March 26, 2026 – 10:47
The canton will pay CHF 18,000 (about $22,741) per hectare per year to maintain the plots, but with no obligation to produce grapes. The aim is to preserve vineyards. This aid will apply to a maximum of 10% of declared wine-growing areas, the canotnal government said on Wednesday at the end of its weekly meeting. It will require an amendment to the cantonal regulations on vineyards and wines.
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In addition to a change in the regulations, on Wednesday the cantonal government submitted to the Finance Committee a request for a supplementary credit of CHF2.3 million as a subsidy for 2026.
Transitional aid
The bill proposed a transitional financial aid for two years “to maintain production facilities, in the hope that the Swiss government will lower the quotas for wines from abroad.
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Falling consumption, cheaper imports, overproduction and quality gaps are squeezing the country’s producers.
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The canton of Geneva has almost 1,400 hectares of vineyards, the result of decades of investment. They are a key element of the canton’s landscape and heritage.
However, over 90% of the vineyards are located in protected wine-growing zones, which means that these areas cannot be converted to other crops. Furthermore, the law requires vines to be maintained in order to avoid phytosanitary risks.
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