Final results show 55.7 per cent of voters approved a people's initiative put forward by environmentalists and consumers groups for a temporary ban on GMOs in agriculture.

All 26 cantons came out in favour of the moratorium.

It is a rare occurrence in Swiss politics for a people's initiative to be passed in a nationwide ballot. To do so it requires a majority of the popular vote and the backing of more than half the cantons.

Consumers and research

Supporters of the moratorium, mainly from the political centre-left, said their victory proved the power of the alliance between environmentalists, consumer organisations and farmers.

In their campaign they had argued that GMOs are neither in the interest of consumers nor of Swiss farmers, and that a moratorium is an opportunity for farmers to improve their marketing or organic products.

The government, the business community as well as the main centre-right and rightwing parties were all against the temporary ban.

The ballot on the GMO moratorium comes after parliament passed a new law in 2003, which allows GM crops in Switzerland under certain conditions.