Launched by the “Clean Water for All” association (Sauberes Wasser für alle) of Franziska Herren, the “For clean drinking water and healthy food” initiative sought to reserve agricultural direct payments for farms that forgo pesticides and the prophylactic use of antibiotics. It was put to the people on 13 June 2021, the same day as the “For a Switzerland free of synthetic pesticides” initiative.
The context was tense: since 2019, the discovery of chlorothalonil metabolites in many groundwater bodies had alerted the public to pesticide residues in water. In parallel, in March 2021 Parliament passed a law (Pa. Iv. 19.475) aiming to halve pesticide-related risks by 2027 — seen by many as an indirect counter-proposal.
The Federal Council, Parliament, the Swiss Farmers’ Union and most centre and right-wing parties recommended rejecting the initiative, which they considered too radical and a threat to agriculture. The initiators, backed by part of the environmental movement, championed water quality and farming without synthetic pesticides.
On 13 June 2021, with turnout of 59.9%, the initiative was rejected by 61.7% of voters (38.3% Yes) and by every canton except Basel-City. The campaign, sharply polarised between town and country, was one of the most expensive in recent history.
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▲ Cantons that accepted
Basel-City (only canton)
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▼ Cantons that rejected
All other cantons (25), urban and rural alike
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Actors and figures
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▲ Yes camp (initiators)
• “Clean Water for All” association (Sauberes Wasser für alle)
• Franziska Herren, initiator
• The Greens and part of the SP
• Environmental protection organisations
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▼ No camp
• Federal Council and Parliament
• Swiss Farmers’ Union (SBV)
• SVP, FDP, The Centre, GLP
• economiesuisse and the agri-food sector
• Part of the farming associations
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Arguments and verdicts — 4 years on
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▲ Arguments FOR (“Clean Water for All”)
Pesticides contaminate drinking water and groundwater; subsidising their use must stop.
“Our drinking water is polluted by pesticides.”
— Franziska Herren, initiator ✓ Argument confirmed
Groundwater monitoring (NAQUA) confirmed widespread contamination: in 2019-2020, chlorothalonil metabolites exceeded the legal limit in a large share of catchments, leading to the fungicide’s ban in 2020. The initiators’ diagnosis of pollution was well-founded.
Source: FOEN, NAQUA groundwater monitoring 2019-2020; chlorothalonil ban 2020
Without a change in agricultural policy, the problem will persist.
“Current measures are not enough.”
— “Clean Water for All” committee ✓ Argument confirmed
Four years after the rejection, pressure on Swiss waters remains; pesticides and their metabolites are still detected in groundwater. The status quo did not resolve the problem — other measures (the 2021 risk-reduction law) were needed to start a downward trend.
Source: FOEN/FOAG, state of waters 2021-2024; law Pa. Iv. 19.475
The prophylactic use of antibiotics in livestock farming fosters antibiotic resistance.
“Healthy animals are given antibiotics as a preventive measure.”
— Initiators ✓~ Partly confirmed
The concern is documented: antibiotic resistance remains a recognised public-health issue. But sales of veterinary antibiotics had already fallen sharply since 2008 (about -50% by 2020) and routine prophylactic use was already restricted. The fear was real, the trend already improving.
Source: FSVO, ARCH-Vet report on antibiotic sales 2008-2020
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▼ Arguments AGAINST (Federal Council / farmers / parties)
The problem is already being addressed: the Plant Protection Products Action Plan and agricultural policy are enough; the initiative is superfluous.
“We already have the tools to reduce pesticides.”
— Federal Council / Swiss Farmers’ Union ✗~ Partly refuted
The tools existed (2017 Action Plan), but proved insufficient given the exceedances found in water. That same year, a parliamentary law (Pa. Iv. 19.475) was needed, requiring a 50% reduction in risks by 2027. The “already sufficient” argument is therefore largely refuted — even though a more moderate response was indeed provided outside the initiative.
Source: Parliament, Pa. Iv. 19.475 (2021 law); FOEN, exceedances 2019-2020
The pesticides present in water pose no proven health problem.
“Swiss drinking water is safe.”
— Farming circles, 2021 ✗~ Partly refuted
The immediate health safety of distributed water was not called into question, but exceedances of metabolites (chlorothalonil) forced municipalities to close or dilute catchments and justified a ban. The presence of pesticides in groundwater was thus a concrete problem, beyond mere reassuring language.
Source: FOEN/cantons, catchment closures 2019-2021
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Factual assessment · 4 years on (2025)
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2
Confirmed
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1
Partly confirmed
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2
Partly refuted
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0
Refuted
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Water quality: pesticide contamination confirmed
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FOEN
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In 2019-2020, chlorothalonil metabolites exceeded the legal limit (0.1 µg/L) in a large share of groundwater, forcing municipalities to close or dilute catchments. The fungicide was banned in 2020.
Source: FOEN, NAQUA monitoring; chlorothalonil ban 2020
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Four years after the rejection, pesticide residues are still regularly detected in groundwater: the problem highlighted by the initiators has not disappeared.
Source: FOEN, state of groundwater 2021-2024
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Political response: a law outside the initiative
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Parliament
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In March 2021, before the vote, Parliament passed a law (Pa. Iv. 19.475) requiring a 50% reduction in pesticide-related risks by 2027 — a more moderate but real response.
Source: Parliament, Pa. Iv. 19.475
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The No camp’s argument that “the tools already exist” proved partly false: the 2017 Action Plan had not prevented the exceedances, hence the need for the 2021 law.
Source: FOEN; Plant Protection Products Action Plan 2017
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Antibiotics in livestock farming: a trend already under way
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FSVO
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Sales of antibiotics for animals fell by about 50% between 2008 and 2020, and routine prophylactic use was already restricted: the initiators’ concern was real, but the trend was already improving.
Source: FSVO, ARCH-Vet report 2008-2020
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Update 06/2026: incorporating the revision of the Waters Protection Act and Ordinance, put out for consultation on 26 November 2025.
Four years on, the paradox of this vote is striking: voters rejected the initiative, yet the facts largely vindicated its diagnosis. Pesticide contamination of groundwater — illustrated by the chlorothalonil case and the fungicide’s ban in 2020 — confirmed that residues in water were a concrete problem, not a militant exaggeration.
The opponents’ central argument that “the tools already exist” did not hold up as stated: the 2017 Action Plan had not prevented the exceedances, and the same year as the vote a parliamentary law was needed, requiring risks to be halved by 2027. The problem did call for a response — simply by a more moderate route than the one the initiative proposed.
On antibiotics, the initiators’ concern was well-founded but the trend already under way: veterinary sales had halved since 2008. Here the initiative was pushing at a partly open door.
In the end, this vote illustrates a classic case of direct democracy: a sound diagnosis, carried by a solution deemed too radical. The Swiss refused to tie direct payments abruptly, while acknowledging, through other channels, that the water-and-pesticides problem was real. Four years later, the initiative was not implemented — but neither did the pure status quo prevail.
In late 2025 this more moderate path took a further step. On 26 November 2025 the Federal Council opened a consultation on revising the Waters Protection Act and its ordinance, proposing to add seven active substances to the list of ecotoxicological limit values — which previously held nineteen — in order to better protect drinking water and groundwater. Nearly five years after the vote, the move confirms that the initiative’s diagnosis remained relevant, while also showing its limits: the Federal Council declined for now to set values for three substances deemed indispensable to farming, a compromise immediately criticised by environmental organisations. The consultation closed on 12 March 2026.