Meet the 2026 SFIAR Award Winners

University of Bonn
Qualifications: Master’s degree (doctoral positions) or PhD (postdoctoral positions) in fields relevant to sustainable food systems, including agronomy, agricultural economics, sociology, environmental sciences, ecology, nutrition or human health. Candidates should demonstrate interest in interdisciplinary research and strong English communication skills. Postdoctoral applicants are expected to have relevant publication experience. Willingness to conduct international fieldwork, particularly in Ghana, is required.

On the occasion of Africa Day 2026, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) emphasized the growing importance of water access, sanitation and water governance for human development, peace and stability across Africa. The communication highlights Swiss-supported activities in Sudan, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the Blue Peace water diplomacy initiative. Against the backdrop of climate change, rapid urbanisation and conflict, the SDC stresses that water scarcity increasingly contributes to food insecurity, disease outbreaks, displacement and social tensions, particularly in fragile regions such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa.

A Biovision-supported initiative in the Morogoro region of Tanzania is helping Maasai communities strengthen climate resilience and rural livelihoods through sustainable livestock management, agroecological farming and cooperative dairy systems. Implemented together with the local organization Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), the project combines improved breeding practices, farmer training and local milk processing to stabilize incomes and improve food security under increasingly severe drought conditions. The initiative also supports diversification into fruit and vegetable production, agroecological practices and community-based financial mechanisms, illustrating how locally embedded approaches can reinforce both environmental sustainability and economic resilience in pastoral and agropastoral systems.