Anthos. Food/Nourriture – Book review

What does food mean for the landscape? This question is explored in the third edition of the ‘anthos’ yearbook. The volume of interviews and essays by the Swiss Association of Landscape Architects BSLA brings together the voices of experts and project presentations. It shows how agriculture in Switzerland has changed over the course of history – and how it must continue to change in the future in the face of climate change.

The yearbook examines the topic of food production from various perspectives. The first part contains a treatise on agriculture on the Swiss Plateau, an essay on the history of the edible city and an analysis of typical Swiss agglomerations. Portraits of people working on special food production projects complement the spatial planning texts. In addition, an interview with actors from the Swiss Landscape Fund, the farmers’ association and landscape architecture reveals the interactions between ecology, economy and aesthetics. In addition to the Swiss perspective, approaches from abroad – particularly from the Netherlands – are also highlighted. The book concludes with 15 selected pioneering landscape architecture projects from recent years.

The BASL has brought together a total of 15 authors for this year’s issue of anthos magazine. They are primarily (landscape) architects, spatial and environmental planners and journalists, but also include an archaeologist and a political scientist.

“Landscape must once again become a healthy, public good that reflects various social values” p. 47

“[…] Subsidies have far-reaching consequences for our eating habits and the landscape. […] The subsidy should not be recognizable 1:1 in the landscape. It is much more important to look at the whole, the individuality, the regional identity.” S. 58

It is interesting to see, for example, how traditional fruit growing has changed on the Swiss Plateau. The landscape was once dominated by tall fruit trees under which arable crops and grass were cultivated. In the first half of the 20th century, authorities classified alcoholism as a social problem and the schnapps extracted from the fruit as a danger. In 1955, a federal decree suspended premiums for the deforestation of fruit trees. This led to the mass removal of numerous fruit trees – and to a drastic change in the landscape. Today, low-stem trellises are predominant in fruit growing. High-stem cultures are only slowly becoming established again.

…it depicts the current status quo and can therefore be considered an up-to-date analysis. At the same time, however, the yearbook also calls for a rethink of current practice and offers general approaches and historical references for a paradigm shift.

• Feel: The yearbook is available as a sturdy brochure in A4 format on matt pages.
• Design: The layout is appealing and minimalist. The texts are arranged in two columns in German and French. Numerous illustrations break up the text passages.
• Reading flow: The language varies depending on the author, but overall all texts are easy to understand and comprehensible. The project descriptions convey a vivid impression. All in all, an entertaining and exciting read.
• Visual language: The extraordinary, multi-page photo series by artist Georg Aerni deserves special mention. It shows photographs from four series, including greenhouse landscapes near Almeria, vegetable fields near Cairo and traditional Swiss orchards in winter. In addition, portrait and project photos accompany the texts.
• Information: Thanks to the large number of authors and texts, the yearbook provides an insight into many different aspects of Switzerland’s agriculture. In a nutshell, the volume provides a wide range of information.

The variety of topics and projects discussed guarantees an entertaining read. Many of the individual topics call for more in-depth discussion and thus encourage further research.

The book “anthos. Essen/Nourriture” is available here, more interesting reading material and reviews here.