Intensity of energy use in Swiss agriculture

The intensity of energy use in the agricultural production systems of six industrialized countries, among them Switzerland, was investigated. The study has shown that Switzerland, like The Netherlands, has a high energy intensity. Between the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s the energy intensity of the Swiss agricultural sector has decreased. The same process can also be observed in the other European countries. The share of energy costs in the total production costs varies between 10 % to 20 %, depending on the commodity. A 1 % increase in energy cost would result only in a 1 % to 2 % increase in production costs.