Here in the Swiss mountians the farmers wife has spent the morning baking bread which she sells to local villagers. She bakes 36 loaves each Wednesday and the locals come to collect the bread in the afternoon. It is a very social event.

The farmer milks 25 cows and delivers his milk to the communal bulk tank in 4 cream cans twice a day. I can hear the clinking of the cow bells as the cows graze the fields outside. The cows are milked in the bales where they feed using 4 mobile sets of cups. They are fully automated with automatic cup removers, milk meters that measure volume, fat, protein, cell counts and more.

Yesterday I visited an alpine farm in Emmental where the farmer milked 13 cows. His land is so steep he uses a winch to pull the tractor up the hills when cutting hay. Some land he has to cut by hand using a simple blade cutter that he walks behind. He fertilizes his 25 ha of land by hand. He has 5 daughters, the eldest of whom help out on the farm at weekends.

The farmers here are not poor and their standard of living is good. They rarely go on holidays and rarely venture far from home which I guess makes them like most farmers around the world. They are immensely passionate about where they live and who wouldn't be, it is incredibly beautiful.

Are the Swiss going to participate in feeding the world? Unlikely. They see themselves as an "Island in Europe" relishing their exclusion from the EU and the beaurocratic systems it creates. Government support for farmers is essential for their continued existence. As you can imagine milking 13 cows which produce 70,000 litres of milk at 70 cents per litre is not going to enable you to live very well in the most expensive country on earth. The subsidy support is only $55,000 but that does double his income.

Without the cows and their endless clanking of bells and the farmers mowing crazily steep mountain sides the Swiss landscape would change. This is what the millions of tourists come to see and the Swiss are sensible enough to provide them with the authentic Swiss experience. For as long as visitors seek this version of Switzerland the community will support the farmers to maintain their incredibly small operations. It is a big part of their national pride. The farming families are like farming families everywhere. They will hang on to their traditions and their land for as long as they can so they are grateful for the support they receive.

This is a far cry from the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and the two thirds of the worlds population that rely on rice for subsistence existence.

I guess as Nuffield Scholars what we need to start thinking about is what is the relevant role for our countries to play in feeding the world. At a more personal level what is the role we want our businesses to play. I am spending my time looking at brands and how to maximise value in the market place. Realistically I am interested in the top end of the market and want to leave the cheap bulk production to others which probably means I am up there with the Swiss when it comes to feeding the world. At least for both the Swiss and I the forecast for dairy is good.

By the way Graham this is work I m doing here - the Swiss brand is one of the most successful regional brands in the world. Lester you need to learn from them - they start to reinforce the Swiss brand the moment you arrive at the airport with a welcome from "Heidi" as you travel by train from one section of the airport to another.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Tassie in October.