Agriculture is such an important part of Swiss life that its role is enshrined in the country's constitution. It exists not merely to produce food; it also has the duty of preserving the countryside and to ensuring that decentralised regions remain inhabited.

However, although many people still view Switzerland as a country of farmers and cows, the percentage of people working in agriculture and the size of farms is very much around the European Union average. About four per cent of the working population is employed in agriculture and forestry, and the number continues to fall.

According to figures gathered in 2005, Switzerland has some 1,060,000 ha (2,619,000 acres) in agricultural use. The size of the average farm was 16.7 hectares (41.27 acres), up from 11.5 (28.42 acres) in 1990.

There is a marked trend towards fewer and larger farms. In 2005 the total number of farms was 63,627, a drop of 31% since 1990. The number of small farms - 20 ha (49.4 acres) or less - fell by 44%. Very small farms – under 5 ha (12.4 acres) – had fallen most. However, the number of farms larger than 20 ha increased by 39%, with the biggest increase in farms over 50 ha (124 acres).

Three quarters of the farmed area in Switzerland is devoted to meadows and pastures, as both climate and terrain make most of the country unsuitable for crops. Cereals and vegetables are limited to the lowlands. About one third of farms are engaged in crop production.

Despite the popular image of Switzerland as a land of cows, pigs have now overtaken them in terms of total numbers. In 2005 there were 1,554,700 head of cattle in Switzerland, and 1,609,500 pigs. If the current trend continues, the gap between them is set to increase.