The country’s four main agricultural policy objectives, set in the federal constitution are: food security (make an essential contribution towards ensuring food supplies for the population); sustainability of agricultural production (production measures which maintain fertile soils and clean drinking water are to be used); taking care of the landscape is seen as an essential task of agriculture; and finally agriculture is to help maintain rural areas. To meet these objectives Switzerland has adopted an elaborate system of agricultural policy measures, combining border measures and direct payments to farmers that add up to a relatively high level of support to its farming sector. Since the mid-1990s Switzerland has been implementing gradual reforms to its farming policies by reducing market interventions and increasing the role of direct payments.