This conceptual paper compares three overarching frameworks used to analyze agri-food systems: multifunctionality, ecosystem services, and the just transition approach. The authors argue that while the first two concepts have been useful for recognizing agriculture’s multiple functions and environmental contributions, they fall short of addressing systemic social and ecological challenges. The “just transition” framework is proposed as a more comprehensive alternative that integrates justice, sustainability, and governance dimensions, offering pathways for transformative policy innovations toward equitable and sustainable food systems.

A global team of researchers led by ETH Zurich, ICARDA, and CIMMYT has released the Global Wheat Full Semantic Organ Segmentation (GWFSS) dataset — a major open-access resource for improving computer vision in crop phenotyping. The dataset includes over 50,000 RGB images of wheat fields from 11 institutions across five continents, enabling the development of AI models for organ-level segmentation (leaves, stems, spikes) to support wheat breeding and agroecological research in diverse environments.

In a contribution to the University of Bern’s series “Sustainability – a bewildering (buzz)word”, historian Dr. Juri Auderset traces the evolution of the sustainability concept from its 18th-century forestry origins to today’s global discourse. He warns that the term’s overuse risks diluting its meaning and calls for renewed historical reflection on growth, justice, and environmental limits. His analysis offers valuable context for Agricultural Research for Development (ARD), reminding practitioners that sustainable food and land-use systems must address the long-standing tensions between resource exploitation, social equity, and ecological balance.

Helvetas hosts the hybrid launch of the 2025 Global Hunger Index in Bern and online. Under the theme “It’s time to recommit to Zero Hunger,” the event reflects on two decades of tracking hunger trends and lessons for achieving SDG 2. Speakers include Regula Rytz (Helvetas President), Agnes Mahembe (Helvetas Tanzania), Shruti Patel (ETH Zurich), and Alessandra Roversi (SDC). A networking reception will follow.

webinar organized by Swissaid in the context of the launch of a new publication