The ‘Agroecology Switzerland’ resource project: Working together for sustainable agriculture and nutrition

By implementing agroecological principles, we want to further develop the Swiss agricultural and food system in an integral way. The aim is to establish a more environmentally friendly, economical and socially acceptable agriculture and food system in Switzerland.

In the four cantons of Solothurn, Glarus, Vaud and Ticino, the agroecological transformation is being implemented together with farmers on 40 agricultural pilot farms - so-called farm laboratories or ‘living labs’. The farms are being intensively supported by cantonal advisory services, Agridea, the Institute of Agroecology and Agroscope.

The transformation process aims to permanently reduce the negative effects on soil, air, water and biodiversity, optimise the value creation and resilience of agricultural businesses and improve the social situation of farming families. In addition, the relocation of production areas abroad will not be further increased. The transformation process is only possible if people's consumption and nutritional behaviour also changes, as production and consumption are interlinked. This is why the involvement of consumers is an important aspect of this resource project. The aim is to provide applied and impact-orientated nutrition education with the aim of achieving a more sustainable diet and avoiding food waste. By making a healthy and sustainable diet tangible and promoting dialogue between consumers and producers, we increase the appreciation and understanding of sustainable food.

The Resource Project Agroecology Switzerland focuses on a combination of measures to improve the sustainability performance of farms and consumer behaviour. In co-creative processes involving consumers, producers, researchers and advisors, the measures are regularly reviewed, and new findings can be taken into account on an ongoing basis. In addition, impact-oriented payments will be introduced as part of this project, which will supplement the current funding based on the measures implemented. The Resource Project Agroecology Switzerland supports the farms in achieving their impact targets by providing comprehensive and intensive support and advice. The project thus offers interested farms a low-risk space in which to trial agroecological farming measures.

The achievement of the project objectives is scientifically verified through comprehensive impact monitoring. To this end, we collect and analyse data on soil, biodiversity, climate balances, nutrient losses and the risks of pesticides on the farms, as well as consumer data on nutritional behaviour and food waste. On the one hand, the project aims to find out which measures have the greatest impact. On the other hand, it aims to test new cultivation and incentive systems and to understand how the agroecological transformation can be successfully implemented in Switzerland with the idea of incorporating the findings into policy. The results should provide starting points for greater sustainability in all existing forms of agriculture and contribute to national and international agricultural policy. The Swiss Agroecology Resource Project is intended to test the agroecological transformation in practice as a reference project for Switzerland.

Further information

Contact

Project team at the Institute of Agroecology

• Urs Niggli: Presidium of the sponsorship
• Ruben Baert: Overall project lead
• Sarah Wolf: Collaboration & project lead consumption

Projektteam Partner

• Lisa Nilles, Agridea: Coordination of advisory services
• Anina Gilgen, Agroscope: Impact monitoring and scientific support

Weblinks

• Agridea
• Agroscope
• Swiss Consumer Forum kf
• Canton of Glarus
• Canton of Solothurn
• Canton of Ticion
• Caonto of Vaud
• Glarus farmer's association
• Solothurn farmer's association
• Vaud farmer's association
• Ticino farmer's association