Vaudois agriculture: gaps and lack of control in land improvements

One wonders if one of the pillars of rural development in the Vaud countryside – we are talking about nearly 200 million francs of public money since 2010, reflecting as many paths, henhouses or repairs to alpine chalets – was not taken lightly.

The Court of Auditors released on Wednesday an audit that it carried out on land improvements for the years 2019-2023 and on those responsible for them, namely the General Directorate of Agriculture (DGAV) and its agent, the Agricultural Credit Office (OCA), a subsidiary of Prométerre. The first being in charge of collective projects (unions, municipalities), the other of individual projects, i.e. three quarters of the files. The taxpayer can rest assured, the files, at least those entrusted to Prométerre, are processed quickly and efficiently: all of the subsidies were paid to recognized projects of agricultural interest within the meaning of the law, 428 to be precise.

But, after having analyzed 50 cases in detail, the auditors, usually very cautious, use quite strong vocabulary: “absence of process”, “incomplete and informal procedures”, cost discrepancies “never explained to the Grand Council” , we read in the report.

“The State must fully assume its powers of granting and controlling land improvements,” decides magistrate Valérie Schwaar. Severe? “It’s five minutes to midnight,” explains expert Yves Steiner. We still see a poor allocation of public resources and a risk of waste. The good news is that no audited entity has taken action so quickly.”

Indeed. As soon as the words “absence of strategy” were written on the report, the Canton launched one, while revising the implementing regulations. The idea is in particular to put an end to a total absence of prioritization of files: as it stands, first come is first served. As a result, “farmers have not been able to benefit from aid,” notes the Court.

First concern, the Court of Auditors criticizes a lack of monitoring: neither the DGAV nor the OCA carry out field verification, although they are legally required to do so. By comparing the quotes and the official livestock figures, the auditors found several cases, 21% of the sample, where the animals were not as many or not as expected… Which provoked the ire of Prométerre, for which is normal for herds to take time to build up. The OCA mentions a temporary destabilization of its team in 2021, as well as the concern to avoid excess controls, after those of the architects. Systematic controls have since been reinstated.

The services of Vassilis Venizelos are also worthy of their rank. There is a lack of basis for monitoring the conditions set by the Directorate General for the Environment or funds paid without a legal basis. For example for ponds in mountain pastures, for which the DGAV did not want to finance “additional costs” linked to landscape insertions.

Absence of ecological criteria

Exactly. The Court of Auditors also criticizes the absence of sustainability criteria, in other words the ecological aspect would simply not be taken into account… Prométerre nuance: “The files, because in a sensitive sector outside the building zone, are already meticulously analyzed by regional planning to avoid any impact, underlines Daniel Kämpf, manager of the OCA, sometimes with serious consequences for operators, all of whom are already sensitive to the issue and call on local companies.” He continues. “It is also difficult to find relevant criteria that can be applied to rural constructions. In addition, the Cantonal Sustainability and Climate Office, which could help us in this exercise, is a recent structure.”

“Sustainability is enshrined in the law on subsidies, in that of land improvements… it has been a priority for thirty years, it is time to take it into account,” says Valérie Schwaar. Consequence: 54 million of public money had no effect on sustainable development even though that should have been the case.” The Canton, for its part, clarified its criteria last January.

Conflict of interest?

Between the lines, but not only that, the Court finally deplores an intersoi, “a small world”. An employee thus allocated funds for water pipes to his former employer. It has been moved. A lack of prevention of the risk of conflict of interest, for example via declarations of independence, is also noted. Proven? Not for Prometerre. “Employees are scrupulous and already avoid dealing with cases in their region. A case cited by the Court should also be qualified, in fact the person had recused himself,” defends Daniel Kämpf. Valérie Dittli agrees: “Everything is done to avoid conflicts of interest. But within the land improvement industry, a lot of the people we’re talking about come from the field, and I’m committed to that. It is important that those who draft decisions have the necessary skills, we are talking about complex files for which a range of knowledge is required.”

Does the State intend to implement more checks? Not sure. “The use of public money must obviously be controlled and this is normal,” reacts the State Councilor in charge of the Department of Finance and Agriculture. But we cannot add administrative work to municipalities or agriculture either because of a few faulty files out of thousands of others that are functioning. The system works. We will have to find a middle solution.”

However, we will recall the tense context in the countryside. Reviving the rumble of the peasant revolt this spring, the Agricultural Revolt movement has just called for demonstrations in Bern.

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