As Tourism Season Approaches, Swiss Hotel Chefs Design Sustainable Eco-Friendly Menus
Swiss hotel chefs are developing sustainable menus for the upcoming tourism season, focusing on local sourcing and food waste reduction to address low food self-sufficiency. Consumer awareness remains a critical challenge.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 5, 2026 at 10:16
- 🔍 Collected: May 5, 2026 at 10:31 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 5, 2026 at 12:06 (1h 34m after Collected)
Carbon Trading
Sustainable Taiwan
International Trends
Carbon Footprint Audit
Net Zero Milestones
Net Zero Encyclopedia
2026/05/05 09:03:19
Cheese fondue is a well-known national dish of Switzerland, but not all tourists enjoy it. Hot cheese is mainly eaten with bread and potatoes, and can also be paired with fruits and vegetables. CNA reporter Guo Fangjun, Zurich, photographed on May 5, 2026.
(Central News Agency reporter Guo Fangjun, Zurich, 5th special report) Switzerland enters its peak tourism season in May. Facing sustainability issues, several hotel chefs are reducing their environmental burden by adjusting menus, reducing food waste, and promoting full utilization of ingredients. Due to limited arable land and cultivation time, nearly 40% of Switzerland's plant-based foods rely on imports, making the issue of sustainability on the dining table one of the challenges for the tourism industry.
According to an analysis by the Swiss Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung, currently 28% of global carbon emissions and other environmental burdens are caused by food and drink. Switzerland has little arable land and a shorter cultivation period, leading to low food self-sufficiency. Additionally, 50% of agricultural land is mainly used to grow animal feed, causing 40% of Swiss plant-based foods to rely on imports.
The report cites avocados as an example: Switzerland cannot produce them at all, yet according to Swiss customs import data, the average Swiss consumes 2.5 avocados per day. The reporter visited supermarkets, and Swiss imported avocados mainly come from Peru, Chile, and Spain.
Johan Breedijk, a renowned Swiss chef, told Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung, "I know growing avocados requires water resources, and Switzerland also relies on imports. But customers want to eat them, and chefs must adapt to the times; stagnation in the catering industry means falling behind. The kitchen team adjusts menus weekly, trying to use local ingredients as much as possible, but it's almost impossible not to use imported ingredients at all. In winter, tomatoes, chili peppers, or cucumbers still come from the Netherlands or Italy."
Breedijk stated that in the past, after hotel buffets ended, an average of two large barrels of food were left over. "We are committed to reducing food waste. The team holds a discussion meeting every three months to discuss how to be sustainable. In addition to designing menus more precisely, the kitchen has been renovated and a biogas system using food waste has been introduced, dedicated to food recycling and reuse, rather than discarding."
Another famous Swiss chef, Tim Adolphs, told Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung that his strategy is to gradually shift menus towards more vegetarian dishes and utilize ingredients whole, from roots and stems to leaves and even flowers. He believes that parts often discarded in the past, such as cauliflower stems, actually taste very good; if sliced thinly and stir-fried, they can become very delicious.
He also believes that guests are not really lacking food; chefs need to present ingredients in various forms—stewed, creamy, clear soup, crispy, tempura, or pickled—to rekindle diners' interest in food.
Despite the efforts of the Swiss tourism and hospitality industries to promote sustainability, there are contradictions in reality. An unnamed catering operator stated that many guests coming to Switzerland do not want to try local cuisine but only want to eat familiar flavors. They have also encountered Asian guests who took cheese at breakfast, only to take one bite and discard it. Even if chefs want to reduce their environmental footprint, if consumers don't buy into it, implementation will be difficult. (Edited by Chen Hui-Ping) 1150505
Related News
As Tourism Season Approaches, Swiss Hotel Chefs Design Sustainable Eco-Friendly Menus
2026/05/05 09:03
No Longer Endorsing High Carbon Emissions: Amsterdam Removes Meat and Fuel Ads
2026/05/04 13:57
President Marcos Meets Kishida Fumio, Deepening Energy Cooperation in Response to Middle East Situation
2026/05/01 15:31
Hotline: 0800-256-688 | Email: services@mail.cna.com.tw
Copyright © 2026 Central News Agency. All rights reserved.
Facing the challenges of global warming and extreme weather, Taiwan, as a member of the global community, has an undeniable responsibility. As the Central News Agency approaches its centennial, with professionalism as its foundation, it has built a net-zero carbon emissions website, using international reports as longitude and domestic reports as latitude, to provide first-hand, real-time net-zero trends, laws, and technological new knowledge, leading readers to synchronize with the international community and move towards a low-carbon future.
Logo Design Concept: Combining the Central News Agency's corporate identity (CNA) and two infinity symbols (∞), symbolizing an unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and continuous circulation.
This website uses related technologies to provide a better reading experience, while respecting user privacy. Click here to learn about the Central News Agency's privacy statement. By closing this window, you agree to the above regulations.
Sustainable Taiwan
International Trends
Carbon Footprint Audit
Net Zero Milestones
Net Zero Encyclopedia
2026/05/05 09:03:19
Cheese fondue is a well-known national dish of Switzerland, but not all tourists enjoy it. Hot cheese is mainly eaten with bread and potatoes, and can also be paired with fruits and vegetables. CNA reporter Guo Fangjun, Zurich, photographed on May 5, 2026.
(Central News Agency reporter Guo Fangjun, Zurich, 5th special report) Switzerland enters its peak tourism season in May. Facing sustainability issues, several hotel chefs are reducing their environmental burden by adjusting menus, reducing food waste, and promoting full utilization of ingredients. Due to limited arable land and cultivation time, nearly 40% of Switzerland's plant-based foods rely on imports, making the issue of sustainability on the dining table one of the challenges for the tourism industry.
According to an analysis by the Swiss Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung, currently 28% of global carbon emissions and other environmental burdens are caused by food and drink. Switzerland has little arable land and a shorter cultivation period, leading to low food self-sufficiency. Additionally, 50% of agricultural land is mainly used to grow animal feed, causing 40% of Swiss plant-based foods to rely on imports.
The report cites avocados as an example: Switzerland cannot produce them at all, yet according to Swiss customs import data, the average Swiss consumes 2.5 avocados per day. The reporter visited supermarkets, and Swiss imported avocados mainly come from Peru, Chile, and Spain.
Johan Breedijk, a renowned Swiss chef, told Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung, "I know growing avocados requires water resources, and Switzerland also relies on imports. But customers want to eat them, and chefs must adapt to the times; stagnation in the catering industry means falling behind. The kitchen team adjusts menus weekly, trying to use local ingredients as much as possible, but it's almost impossible not to use imported ingredients at all. In winter, tomatoes, chili peppers, or cucumbers still come from the Netherlands or Italy."
Breedijk stated that in the past, after hotel buffets ended, an average of two large barrels of food were left over. "We are committed to reducing food waste. The team holds a discussion meeting every three months to discuss how to be sustainable. In addition to designing menus more precisely, the kitchen has been renovated and a biogas system using food waste has been introduced, dedicated to food recycling and reuse, rather than discarding."
Another famous Swiss chef, Tim Adolphs, told Hotellerie Gastronomie Zeitung that his strategy is to gradually shift menus towards more vegetarian dishes and utilize ingredients whole, from roots and stems to leaves and even flowers. He believes that parts often discarded in the past, such as cauliflower stems, actually taste very good; if sliced thinly and stir-fried, they can become very delicious.
He also believes that guests are not really lacking food; chefs need to present ingredients in various forms—stewed, creamy, clear soup, crispy, tempura, or pickled—to rekindle diners' interest in food.
Despite the efforts of the Swiss tourism and hospitality industries to promote sustainability, there are contradictions in reality. An unnamed catering operator stated that many guests coming to Switzerland do not want to try local cuisine but only want to eat familiar flavors. They have also encountered Asian guests who took cheese at breakfast, only to take one bite and discard it. Even if chefs want to reduce their environmental footprint, if consumers don't buy into it, implementation will be difficult. (Edited by Chen Hui-Ping) 1150505
Related News
As Tourism Season Approaches, Swiss Hotel Chefs Design Sustainable Eco-Friendly Menus
2026/05/05 09:03
No Longer Endorsing High Carbon Emissions: Amsterdam Removes Meat and Fuel Ads
2026/05/04 13:57
President Marcos Meets Kishida Fumio, Deepening Energy Cooperation in Response to Middle East Situation
2026/05/01 15:31
Hotline: 0800-256-688 | Email: services@mail.cna.com.tw
Copyright © 2026 Central News Agency. All rights reserved.
Facing the challenges of global warming and extreme weather, Taiwan, as a member of the global community, has an undeniable responsibility. As the Central News Agency approaches its centennial, with professionalism as its foundation, it has built a net-zero carbon emissions website, using international reports as longitude and domestic reports as latitude, to provide first-hand, real-time net-zero trends, laws, and technological new knowledge, leading readers to synchronize with the international community and move towards a low-carbon future.
Logo Design Concept: Combining the Central News Agency's corporate identity (CNA) and two infinity symbols (∞), symbolizing an unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and continuous circulation.
This website uses related technologies to provide a better reading experience, while respecting user privacy. Click here to learn about the Central News Agency's privacy statement. By closing this window, you agree to the above regulations.