The presidency of the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) does not wish to renew the lease contract with the collective of farmers who have lived and worked on the estate since the beginning of 2020. The Bassenges farm is destined to become a research center and training by 2026.
It’s the story of a standoff over a piece of land. Since the start of 2020, around ten farmers, including three apprentices, have been operating an area of around ten hectares, straddling the campuses of the University of Lausanne and EPFL.
However, the same EPFL wants to take over the premises in order to move its new fundamental science center there, to the great displeasure of the Bassenges collective. “We are quite angry and a little disillusioned,” says Tom Müller, one of the members of the collective, on Thursday’s 12:45
The collective had nevertheless obtained the favors of EPFL during its call for projects in 2019, among around twenty applications. At that time, the two parties had agreed on a possible renewal of the contract from the beginning of 2026.
EPFL lacks land
However, EPFL lacks land for its development and now wants to move on. “We believe that it is our responsibility to use the farm in line with our primary missions, namely education and research,” notes the vice-president for operations at EPFL.
Matthias Gäumann would like to point out that the domain is currently made available to the collective for a symbolic franc. He also emphasizes that agricultural land will not be affected, only the farm buildings will be transformed into a research center.
A model of agroecology
However, without its farm, the Bassenges collective affirms that its entire project collapses. This is in fact based on an agroecology model, namely organic, local, circular and very little mechanized agriculture. “We particularly need this building to store hay and process cheese,” explains Tom Müller.
In four years, the model found its audience. Around 500 customers regularly come to collect a basket of vegetables from the estate or buy supplies from the self-service store.
To prevent this offer from disappearing by 2026, a petition – currently with some 8,000 signatures – will be submitted to the EPFL presidency on Friday.
>> Listen again to the interview with Baptiste Calliari, one of the farmers operating the Ferme des Bassenges, in the Forum program in 2020:
Yoan Rithner
