October 28, 2026
Switzerland as a pioneer in nutrient recovery? Perhaps soon to be a thing of the past – the Conference of Agriculture Ministers of the German federal states speaks plainly.
Excerpt from the minutes of the conference in Würzburg on September 25, 2026, item 18, paragraph 4:
„"The ministers and senators of the agricultural ministries of the federal states request the federal government to review and amend the regulations governing fertilizers and waste to allow the use of recycled human feces and processed urine from waterless sanitation infrastructure as fertilizers, provided that the process eliminates any risk to humans, animals, and the environment. This would allow phosphorus and nitrogen to be recovered and reused in a circular economy."“
The full protocol: https://lnkd.in/dJ6ygJUD
We are observing something similar in Switzerland: For example, a merger of the cantons from French-speaking Switzerland is demanding that... Federal Office for the Environment FOEN to create legal frameworks for water reuse in agriculture. Or individual cantons are already enabling forward-looking approaches to managing human excrement.
We eagerly await the next... Federal Office for the Environment FOEN and that Federal Office for Agriculture BLW to address the topic.