Blog-post about the "Climate-Resilient Cocoa Landscapes” project implemented by Helvetas together with abroad range of partner in the Sambirano watershed in northwestern Madagascar.

The ETH World Food System Center's annual report has jus been published. It highlights the center's many research, education, and outreach activities focused on food system transformation.

The r4d programme was "ahead of its time" as an innovative research programme promoting sustainable development across borders. This is the result of the external evaluation of the r4d programme. Read more in the final evaluation report.

Learn more in the full report.

ETH Zürich Alumni Stories: Benjamin Gräub shares struggles and insights from his learning journey while developing a new app for farmers in Kenya in times of Covid, a project supported by a Center Ambassador Grant

Over a week in March, NICE country teams and representatives from six cities in Rwanda, Kenya, and Bangladesh joined in peer-​learning visits to Zurich and Geneva.

Public Eye field research in the federal state of Chiapas, Mexico, show that farming families participating in a Nestlé sustainability project are paid prices for their coffee that scarcely cover production costs

The results of the third representative survey of the ETH Swiss Panel Global Cooperation 2023 are in. More than 4,000 Swiss residents shared their views on global poverty, and on Switzerland’s funding and allocation of development cooperation.

Two new videos and a flyer explain the advantages and best practices of agroforestry in the Sahel region for farmers and extensionists. They have been developed by the Horizon 2020 project SustainSahel, which is coordinated by FiBL Switzerland.

Why, with whom and how Helvetas is pursuing a landscape approach in the Simiyu and Singida regions of central Tanzania.

The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) Bangladesh has launched a pioneering initiative that utilizes carbon credits to support smallholder farmers through the implementation of horticultural agroforestry systems. Carbon credits are a market-based system that incentivizes the reduction, removal, or avoidance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, measured in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-eq). This initiative holds particular significance for Bangladesh, a country highly vulnerable to climate change and committed to sustainable development.

Portrait of Martina Graf, former student and staff member of international agriculture at BFH-HAFL, who emigrated to Canada and was recently appointed Global Manager of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists

To tackle the growing demand for land, water and other natural resources as well as climate change development practitioners are increasingly using a landscape approach. But what are key factors for successful landscape restoration? Helvetas pinpoints four critical elements based on their multi-stakeholder experience across projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Learn more in their blog.

Fish farming is a thriving source of income and nourishment. Learn more how these "swimmers" change the livelihood of people in the NICE project.

Syngenta Foundation's Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems in Africa (AVISA) project in Tanzania shows that smallholders do not only benefit from accessing better seed but also from producing it

Explore how, guided by a radio program from Farm Radio International and Biovision, Florian Kwaslema transformed his income and regenerated his land through sustainable agroecological practices. (Article only available in German)

The Syngenta Foundation Seeds2B team in Kenya is joining forces with the National Agricultural Research System to increase the availability of certified seed potatoes for smallholder farmers

Climate-smart Agriculture (CSA) adapts and transforms farming systems for sustainable development and food security. CSA aligns with the Chinese government's ambitious goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Learn how a provincial partnership in Sichuan between TNC and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture promotes climate-smart agriculture for low carbon farming in Rice and Kiwi.

“Deliberative Diets” aims to bridge producers and consumers by developing sustainable food system scenarios using Ecuadorian cocoa and Spanish olive oil as examples. Stakeholders from Ecuador, Spain, and Switzerland collaboratively create future visions for success. CDE PhD student Léa Lamotte explores diverse food perspectives with students.It’s a creative, participatory way of knowledge building that generates refreshing and inspiring insights.

In an interview, Sonja Tschirren, SWISSAID’s Climate Officer, explains why Niger is especially hard hit by Climate Change, how bleak the outlook is, and what responsibility Switzerland must shoulder

In a recent webinar the Syngenta Foundation offered a comprehensive perspective on the complex relationship between agriculture and public health, with a focus on malaria and sustainable rice cultivation.

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary the Swiss Society for African Studies calls for proposals of panels addressing the theme "Sustainability and Transformations" in its broadest sense; deadline for submissions: 12 April 2024

interview with Martin Schmid, Co-Head of Development Projects at Biovision, about a cooperation with the organisation "Farm Radio International" to raise awareness of organic farming in Tanzania

Agronomist Samuel Guindo, the new Syngenta Foundation Country Program Manager in Mali, shares his views and future vision

This Wednesday the Federal Council presented the key figures for the 2025 budget. This includes a 1.4% cut in international cooperation (IC). Last year, in its dispatch on IC 25 - 28, it had planned an increase of 2.5% to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine. Read more in the media release from the development policy competence center Alliance Sud, which is supported by many major Swiss aid organizations.

Star anise is familiar to Western consumers as a component of mulled wine, various pastries and as a flavoring of spirits such as Pastis and Sambuca. It is far more widely used in Asian cuisine, being one of the key spices in Chinese five-spice powder, an essential component of the Vietnamese soup phở, and of various Indian curries. It also has medicinal uses, learn more about this interesting crop!

Many good initiatives struggle with scaling and true empowerment. Meet three farmers and learn how Farmers’ Hubs in Kenya led to more empowerment, scaling and a source of inspiration.

CDE is launching a new study programme. This cutting-edge MSc seeks to train students to become sustainability specialists. Students will be equipped to critically analyse sustainability issues in interconnected dimensions and develop comprehensive practical solutions at local, national, and international levels. The programme starts in the autumn semester of 2024.

FiBL summarises the latest scientific evidence on agroecology and organic agriculture in the tropics and offers 11 opportunities for change for decision-makers, policymakers, and experts in international cooperation.

The 25th edition of the yearbook "The World of Organic Agriculture", jointly published by FiBL and IFOAM, shows that the growth in area and number of farms in 2022 far exceeded that of previous years

Our member the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and Heifer International launched a competition to build on the energy and creativity of young people in Senegal. It aims to help young agri-tech innovators to launch an agricultural renaissance. Read more about the competition.

Interview by Syngenta Foundation with Ghanian Professor for crop improvement and Africa Food Prize winner Eric Danquah about pathways to improve food security in Africa

At the end of the second call for projects of the Solution-Oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) programme, the SNSF selected eight projects, which will be funded with 7.5 million francs in total.

Interested to learn more about agroecological movement in West Africa? The "Green Vein" documentary showcases the “agroecology rising in West Africa” and what the world can learn from it. The documentary emerged from the Food Systems Caravan project coordinated by FiBL Switzerland, within the framework of the R4D programme.

Check out the newly released documentary in French and English.

Congratulations to Isabel Günther, who is the new president of our member: the Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE).

On the new Instagram channel @fibl_org, the most exciting projects, current events and the most beautiful pictures from FiBL are posted. In addition, reels and stories provide insights into everyday research. Follow them and get new insights into FiBL's work every day!

ETH-Alumni Joan Oñate Narciso shares how her work on kabog millet with communities in Cebu, Philippines has left a lasting impression on her life.

As the RUNRES project enters its second phase of developing and now upscaling innovations for circular economies in the rural-​urban nexus, private-​public-partnerships will continue to play an important role.

Learn how to bridge agricultural research with other disciplines. The course presents transdisciplinary research as a living experience. With a basis on sound theoretical and methodological background, five outstanding projects illustrate promising different ways of dealing with complex societal challenges. The start of the next learning group sessions is expected to be in the week of February 26, 2024.

Obituary of the Swiss agricultural engineer Martin Menzi, founding member and former president of Helvetas, SDC project manager in India and full professor and first director of NADEL at ETH Zurich

The adoption of the yellow maize hybrid seeds known as 'Kabamanoj' is revolutionizing maize production in Mali. This high-yielding maize variety has the potential to generate a remarkable 50-110% increase in yields compared to traditional maize varieties normally used by smallholder farmers.

Final report by the World Trade Institute (WTI) on the outcome of its project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa”

New CDE project that aims to foster peer learning and sharing of knowledge about pricing schemes targeting a living income in the cocoa value chain

The new EU organic regulation N° 2018/848 re-defines the rules for international organic production destined for the EU market. FIBL invites producer groups and companies exporting organic products to Europe, as well as organic traders in the EU and other stakeholders to participate in an international survey to collect data for a study on the implications of the new rules on smallholder supply chains.

Helvetas blog post with some surprising facts about cinnamon and about how international cooperation efforts can improve the lives of smallholder farmers and their natural environment.

Syngenta Foundation is facilitating the adoption of a new yellow maize variety that is revolutionizing maize production in Mali due to remarkable yields increases

The World Food Programme (WFP) launched a partnership with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, at COP28 on December 8.

The partnership will support private-sector innovators who are scaling climate-smart solutions across food, land and water systems in fragile and conflict-affected communities as part of the CGIAR Initiative on Fragility, Conflict and Migration (FCM).

Insurance can play a key role in farmers’ resilience. Its value greatly increases when combined with the right agricultural inputs. A Syngenta Foundation program in Zambia helps smallholders become progressively more professional.

Auf Sansibar stärkt Biovision eines der wichtigsten Ökosysteme Westafrikas, die Mangrovenwälder, und damit auch die afrikanische Honigbiene.

Interview with CDE scientist Tatenda Lemann on the theme of worldwide soil loss and soil degradation.

Soil is an essential, non-renewable resource for agriculture. Syngenta Foundation's Alva Kretschmer and Yuan Zhou write about what governments can do to adress soil degradation and what the foudation is doing.

Die Schweiz hat am Treffen des Lenkungsorgans des Internationalen Vertrags über pflanzengenetische Ressourcen für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft in Rom teilgenommen.

Medienmitteilung von Alliance Sud über eine Kampagne zur Stärkung der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, aus Anlass der Bestrebung des Bundesrates, den Wiederaufbau der Ukraine aus Geldern der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit zu finanzieren

This year's SFIAR Award Ceremony focuses on the theme "Producing food without consuming forests: how to reduce deforestation in Amazonia". It will be held at BFH-HAFL in Zollikofen on 12 December from 16:15–18:40. Presentations, panel discussion and apéro. Registration is free.

Improving the output of cassava planting material through seed-based innovation.

Potatoes, a vital staple and affordable food source in densely populated Bangladesh, are set to undergo a revolutionary transformation in farming practices thanks to a groundbreaking technique for producing high-quality seed potatoes.

Press release from Public Eye on how the Swiss insurance group made contracts with Brazilian farms that contributed to deforestation or are under investigation for armed violence and slave labor.

The annual research symposium of the World Food System Center highlighted the multifaceted research at ETH Zurich focused on food systems.

President of the FiBL Foundation Council Bernard Lehmann discusses solutions for organic agriculture and agroecology in this profile piece for FiBL's 50th anniversary.

Mit über 600 Gästen und rund 400 online Zuschauer:innen feierte Biovision ihr 25. Jubiläum.

Many city inhabitants worldwide eat unhealthily. A recent Learning Forum hosted by Syngenta Foundation gave an update on progress with improvements in Kenya and Rwanda. Awareness and agriculture both play a big role.

Join the webinar (15 November at 14:00 CET) on FiBL’s latest report, "Less, better and circular use – how to get rid of surplus nitrogen without endangering food security."

In the frame of the SIRED project to support producers in Kosovo in the transition to organic farming, FiBL created a 36-page technical guide (in English; free to download) on organic bush berry production.

Feiern Sie das 25-jährige Bestehen von Biovision! Begleiten Sie Biovision auf einer Reise durch die Zeit - von den Anfängen bis zur Zukunftsvision. Hier geht es zur Anmeldung für den Livestream.

An international consortium led by researchers at ETH Zurich investigated the cascading impacts after two consecutive hurricanes on smallholder banana farmers in the Dominican Republic.

This new CDE project aims at collectively engaging local stakeholders in the development of a sustainably managed landcape in the Sambirano Valley of Madagascar.

Four HAFL staff/students reflect on their time at the recent FAO World Food Forum in Rome.

Story about the NICE project’s Nutrition Farmers' Hubs, and the positive effect on Luna Akhter, who is now a vegetable seedling producer.

Urban food systems are confronted with questions of supply and demand to address malnutrition in all its forms. The Nutrition in Cities Ecosystems (NICE) Project aims to tackle such challenges

In-person attendance at the Biovision Symposium on sustainable food systems is fully booked, but you can still participate online on 18 November from 14:00-17:00. Click here for full programme and to register.

Brochure from SWISSAID on the the importance of crop diversity for the global food system.

The NICE project brings together urban dwellers, farmers, producers, and other food system players for the World Food Day 2023 commemoration in Bungoma County in line with the theme of water conservation.

Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) promotes academic research in the interdisciplinary area of international studies with an interest in projects that transcend traditional nation-state boundaries. Pre-proposal deadline: 25 January 2024.

Syngenta Foundation article on the measures taken to increase rice yields in West Africa.

Members of a four-person youth delegation from BFH-HAFL share their thoughts about attending this massive week-long event under the theme “Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action.”

A joint initiative by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Biovision Foundation, and WWF to produce a handbook ahead of the 26th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 26; May 2024) on integrating agroecology into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).

A KFPE position paper addressing funding, knowledge and power issues in north–south research partnerships.

October report by the World Trade Institute (WTI) on the outcome of its project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa”

Interview with Sophary Long, Syngenta Foundation Project Manager in Cambodia, about the weather insurance scheme for smallholders taking off in Cambodia

Report from recent FiBL event at Tropentag in Berlin.

A paper from Agroscope's Konrad Metzger et al. details on-site soil sample testing using mobile devices.

Biovision Artikel: In Ostafrika werden die Rufe von Kleinbäuer:innen und der Zivilgesellschaft nach einer agrarökologischen Wende lauter.

MOOC for researchers in developing countries who want to improve their skills in developing grant proposals. 24 October 2023 - 27 November 2023.

Bäuerinnen und Bauern brauchen einen fairen Preis für ihre nachhaltig angebauten Produkte. Biovision setzt sich mit engagierten Unternehmen für die Stärkung des Biomarktes in Tansania ein.

Biovision Artikel: Der Bioverband Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement will den Landwirtschaftssektor eines ganzen Landes reformieren.

Article about Syngenta's NICE project which helps women entrepreneurs return from urban jobs to their farming villages to boost food production.

Obituary from The Guardian for AR4D titan and leader of India's green revolution M S Swaminathan, who passed away on 28 September.

CDE is involved in a survey on how to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Have your say!

The online public lecture series on agroecology and its role in the transformation of sustainable food systems returns on 10 October. Presented by the World Food System Center and Grassland Sciences Group. Next events 24 and 31 October.

Last week, the Swiss Federal Council approved a CHF 100 million package to demine civilian and agricultural areas in Ukraine and aid the country's recovery.

Zum fünfzigjährigen Jubiläum des FiBL haben sich Urs Niggli und Hartmut "Hardy" Vogtmann gemeinsam ins Podcast-Studio von FiBL Focus gesetzt und erzählen unter anderem davon, wie sie Prinz Charles zum Biolandbau bewegt haben.

Syngenta article on the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Systems in Africa (AVISA) programme.

On overview of SWISSAID's October campaign of events addressing hunger, climate change and agrocecology, including the “Agroecology works!” Days.

Helvetas-Blogartikel von Patrik Berlinger über die Internationale Zusammenarbeit (IZA) 2025-2028.

Pflanzliche Getränke auf der Basis von Soja, Getreide, Samen oder Nüssen werden immer häufiger als Milchersatz konsumiert. Agroscope-Forschende haben Makro- sowie Mikronährstoffe dieser Getränke untersucht und grosse Unterschiede festgestellt.

Integrated breeding gives Vietnam’s smallholders a promising potato.

For CDE, it is unacceptable, that the Swiss government plans to shift CHF 1.5 billion from development cooperation to urgently needed support for Ukraine, and the proposal could also be more ambitious and more coherent regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

Medienmitteilung der KFPE zur Stellungnahme der Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz zur Strategie der internationalen Zusammenarbeit 2025-2028

The SDC has launched a private sector engagement partnership to enable Georgian farmers to increase productivity and income from organic hazelnut production.

News by SNSF - Turling's work has been the basis for major progress in the understanding of plant-insect interactions. It has also opened up the way for developing new approaches in biological pest control.

Using a new analytical method, ETH Zurich doctoral student Julie Lestang aims to determine the chemical profile of cacao beans reliably and quickly. This forms the basis for controlled fermentation – and high-​quality chocolate.

Article from Helvetas about environmental, social, and climate standards in rural development, and the impacts of the SUSTAIN initiative.

Funding is helping several enterprising food producers in the region of Busia County, Kenya, to find deserved success.

BFH-HAFL-Student Stefan Roth reist auf den Spuren von Seidenraupen und Seidenproduzenten durch mehrere europäische Länder. Durch seinen Praktikumsbericht lässt sich «Internationale Landwirtschaft» für einmal hautnah miterleben.

Syngenta Foundation Bangladesh's project "Introducing Water-Efficient Technologies" aimed to minimize mango farmers’ use of groundwater by introducing Ultra High-Density Plantation practices combined with drip irrigation

Biovision will zusammen mit engagierten Unternehmerinnen und Unternehmern den Bio-Markt in Tansania aufbauen. Sie haben drei dieser Unternehmen besucht und erfahren, wie stark in diesem Land der der Bio-Sektor zu pulsieren beginnt.

Agroscope und ecoinvent arbeiten eng zusammen und fördern damit nachhaltige Praktiken in der Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft.

The latest issue of the SDC magazine "One World" focuses on food security.

Article from ETH spin-​off Gaia Tech, which transforms waste from olive oil production into high-​quality antioxidants for use in cosmetics or food.

Article from environmental scientist and politician Claudia Friedl as part of FiBL's series "Anniversary voices" celebrating the institute's 50th anniversary in 2023.

A new CDE project aims to improve the sustainability of land management and governance in Laos by means of enhanced knowledge, capacities, and processes in both government and the private sector.

An AFSA webinar series exploring the many ways agroecology can provide sustainable African solutions. The six webinars are 90 minutes long, in English and French.

Article from the Syngenta Foundation regarding rice-centric Myanmar and the various nutritional and diversification challenges it faces.

With the motto: "But don’t hear it from us – hear it from them!" the Syngenta Foundation has launched a short video series with farmers talking about their plans, challenges and collaboration with the Foundation.

Report from Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture following a recent symposium in Dakar on solutions and innovations that can bring forth sustainable agriculture.

Article from SWISSAID about the importance of staying in Niger during the military coup.

Podcast vom "FiBL Focus" Team diskutiert die dunklere Schokoladenseite und welche Schwierigkeiten es bei der Nachhaltigkeit in der Wertschöpfungskette für Schokolade noch gibt.

July report by the World Trade Institute (WTI) on the outcome of its project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa”

The story of Tereza Kisku from Bangladesh, who was able to solve her family's financial problems by becoming an entrepreneur running a Farmers’ Hub in her village

The HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute ‘Snakes and Ladders on the way to Agroecology’ project in Tanzania and India recently ended. In this short video, project leader Prof. Gurbir S Bhullar from BFH-HAFL explains the board game and highlights the positive impact it's had on smallholder farming communities.

In Southeast Asia, there is a growing interest in organic production and certification of vegetables to provide local markets with safer products. In 2022, FiBL Switzerland and partners implemented a project related to organic vegetables in Vietnam.

In der Debatte um die internationale Zusammenarbeit werden Privatsektor und Nichtregierungsorganisationen oft gegeneinander ausgespielt. Das Analysepapier von Alliance Sud bietet eine differenzierte Sicht.

Kenyan farmers with disabilities are now benefiting from a sorghum program between Syngenta Foundation East Africa and Sightsavers.

An update from Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Interview with Markus Reubi and Christian Frutiger.

CDE's Annual Report 2022 includes an interview with their president and updates on international r4d projects.

Swissaid program manager in Myanmar, Daniele Polini, explains the current state of the country and reports on the progress of the projects.

SWISSAID has initiated a project to enhance the value of crops through agroecology, enabling farmers to envision a dignified future.

The ETH WFSC Flagship Project Enhancing Resilience in Food Systems seeks to directly contribute to food systems resilience by supporting decision-​​making in practice through stakeholder participation and academic education.

In the project “Agreement on Agriculture Reimagined – Towards a model Agreement on Agriculture Trade for Sustainable Development”, an international group of experts from the global North and global South is exploring ways to redesign global agricultural trade to support sustainable food systems in diverse contexts.

Retiring professors in the International Agriculture group Dominique Guenat and Christoph Studer have worked at BFH-HAFL for so long you could say they’re “part of the furniture”. Here they discuss their career highlights, achievements and future plans, plus their hopes for HAFL.

Media release by FOAG about the position of the Swiss delegation to the 43rd Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) taking place from 1 to 7 July 2023

Activities and projects from the Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE) in 2022.

The Agenda seeks to address common challenges, promote sustainable development, and strengthen partnerships in key sectors including agriculture. One key objective is to promote research collaboration and knowledge exchange between African and European institutions.

The FDFA and the EAER are publishing the draft International Cooperation Strategy 2025–28 as part of a voluntary public consultation process from June to September 2023.

150 participants came together on the 5th of May in Bern to discuss challenges and opportunities for decolonizing Swiss research collaborations. The summaries of the parallel sessions and the presenters’ slides are now available online

Study results from Syngenta Foundation Agri-Entrepreneur program which serves more than a million Indian smallholder farmers.

Policy brief and corresponding video consider how the results of three projects implemented by FiBL in the tropics can inform the debates on the future of organic agricultural development in Africa.

A delegation from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization visited food system researchers at ETH Zurich to discuss innovations for change.

In this interview, NADEL’s Jasmine Neve and Kimon Schneider talk about the findings of the recent "Future Trends and Competencies for the Swiss International Cooperation Sector" report

Key insights from an interactive virtual workshop underline the need for a profound reconfiguration of the current science system to integrate postcolonial thought and open science principles.

Syngenta Foundation's Executive Director for India, Rajendra Jog, stresses that better access to tools and services and rural entrepreneurship can improve the situation of smallholders, but policy also plays a major role

Article in ETHZ Globe Magazine by Felix Würsten on the impacts of climate change on the global water cycle. Inputs from Manuela Brunner, Daniel Farinotti and Christoph Schär.

the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED) has recently published its "Strategy 2023-2026" where it defines its principles, priority themes - one being sustainable food systems with a focus on agroecology - and its priority countries

Register by 13 June for the HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute's Annual Event to be held in Zollikofen on 20 June 2023. The theme is: "Agroecology: Dreamy buzzword or practical solution for sustainable landscapes and food systems?" The Institute contributes to the development of sustainable smallholder agricultural, forest and food systems in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

article in the SDC magazine "One World" about how an SDC programme in the Goascorán River basin in Honduras has improved the livelihoods of smallholder farm families and reduced their vulnerability to climate change

news by Agrinatura on a call for experts launched by VCA4D to get an evidence-based comprehensive overview of the cocoa value chain in Liberia, deadline for the submissions of CVs: 31 May 2023

news by Syngenta Foundation featuring an interview with Chief Scientist Mike Robinson about the acheivements of the International Wheat Yield Partnership focusing on increasing the crop’s photosynthetic efficiency

Call for workshops at Tropentag 2023 "Competing pathways for equitable food systems transformation: trade-offs and synergies" (Berlin, September 20 - 22, 2023). Deadline for submissions: 20 May 2023

FAO published a new technical manual on „Sustainable Potato Production in Tajikistan”. Lukas Bertschinger of klb innovation had the lead in conceptualising the manual, coordinated its edition jointly with Tajik scientists and contributed several chapters

article for KFPE by O. Ravaka Andriamihaja of the University of Bern on how to combat the fact that North-South collaboration in research create dependence and invisibility, undermining the chances of finding solutions for global challenges

news by CDE about the contribution of its researchers and members to the upcoming IASC Conference “The commons we want: between historical legacies and future collective actions”

Registration for the HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute’s fourth annual event, to be held on 20 June at BFH-HAFL in Zollikofen, Switzerland, is now open. The theme of the event is: "Agroecology: Dreamy buzzword or practical solution for sustainable landscapes and food systems?" The full programme and registration form can be found in the link.

Bindu Ananth, Chair of Dvara Trust and a member of the Syngenta Foundation Board, writes about the Indian agricultural credit landscape.

Read a personal account from Dr Zenebe Uraguchi, who is now the Head of the HAFL Hugo P. Cecchini Institute for International Cooperation and Development at the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Zollikofen. He was previously with Helvetas for 13 years.

interview with CDE director and KFPE president Thomas Breu about the need for Switzerland to open up to new approaches to research cooperation with Africa

interview with CDE scientist Ravaka Andriamihaja who investigated economic and political power imbalances and colonial patterns in North–South research collaboration

news by ETH about a recent trip of WFSC alumni to Colombia to explore together with local organizations how to involve the collective in agroecological projects and ensure long-term application

news by ETH about its participation in an international project in the Kasaï Basin, the largest tributary of the Congo River, investigating how erosion can cause carbon sinks in soils to become carbon sources

As a new project from FiBL, which runs for three years, the CARE r4d project will disseminate research evidence generated by five r4d projects to contribute to an emerging international network working towards an agroecological transition of the food systems in West Africa.

ETH Zurich researchers led a multidisciplinary project on optimizing organic bean production in North Macedonia. Findings are presented in a new video.

Das FiBL hat eine Reihe neuer Schulungsmaterialien veröffentlicht. Diese vermitteln in verschiedenen Formaten Ergebnisse aus drei Projekten des FiBL Schweiz in den Tropen.

World Trade Institute (WTI) and Making Agricultural Trade Sustainable (MATS) published the latest report from the project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa”.

Four videos from FiBL's Selina Ulmann showing mechanization, tractors, and tillage and seeding equipment used in crop production in Ethiopia.

In dieser Präsentation werden Urs Niggli die wichtigsten Stationen in der 40-jährigen Geschichte des Schweizer Forschungsinstituts für biologischen Landbau FiBL aufgezeigt.

CABI has signed a MoU with the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The agreement, which includes creating a project office in Hanoi, aims to bolster Vietnam’s capacity to carry out long-term international cooperation in agricultural science and technology, including, for example, the sustainable management of crop pests and diseases.

Report from the Syngenta Foundation focusing on the importance of women and youth in transforming food systems, as part of the NICE (Nutrition in City Ecosystems) project presented at the recent Eastern Africa Agroecology Conference in Kenya.

Read about the CDE research project COMMONPATHS, which focuses on urban resources managed as commons – in Ghana and Switzerland – and how the collectives that manage them address overconsumption and inequality.

SWISSAID has initiated an emergency relief initiative to distribute seeds and food packages in Chad, which has been devastated by the heaviest downpours in three decades, stripping the people of their homes, farmlands, and crops. New seeds are needed to secure the upcoming harvest.

Registration is now open. Register by 28 April for the 5 May conference and five days in advance of the various workshops focusing on decolonizing North-South research.

The extraction of tannins has the potential to create new, sustainable income opportunities for the people of the Philippines. In a four-year project, researchers from the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and the Philippines identified coconut husks as a promising source of large quantities of tannin.

In a new video, ETH Zurich researcher Christian Andres presents how dynamic agroforestry can contribute to healthy, sustainable cocoa farms and the livelihoods of farmers in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

New open access report from IFPRI and Syngenta looks at opportunities for young agribusiness entrepreneurs in India.

CABI’s bioprotection resource, the CABI BioProtection Portal, has now been launched in Tanzania to give growers and advisors the information they need to help fight crop pests and diseases more sustainably.

The CSRS - Eremitage Fund Prize for Scientific Research in Partnership honors researchers for excellence in scientific research between scientific institutions in the North and in Côte d'Ivoire and/or in other countries of West Africa.

The World Food System Center at ETHZ released their Annual Report 2022, which highlights various research, education, and outreach activities focused on food system transformation.

Press release by Saatgut-Koalition about a decision by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swiss National Council to remove a clause on plant variety protection from trade agreements negotiated by Switzerland in the future.

Bindu Ananth recently joined the Syngenta Board. She talks about her impressions of Syngenta, the ins and outs of micro-finance, and subsistence farming.

Bereits seit 2007 vergleicht das FiBL zusammen mit lokalen Partnern konventionellen und biologischen Landbau in Kenia, Indien und Bolivien im Programm SysCom (Farming Systems Comparison in the Tropics). Zu den Erkenntnissen aus den Langzeitversuchen sind in der Zeitschrift BioTOPP in den letzten Monaten zwei Artikel erschienen.

news by FiBL about the publication of a series training materials to communicate the results from three FiBL projects implemented in the tropics – SysCom, ProEcoAfrica and OFSA

news by NADEL about the results of the second survey of the ETH Swiss Panel Global Cooperation 2022 where over 3,000 Swiss residents shared their views on Swiss policies regarding global poverty, migration, and climate change

BFH-HAFL researcher dairy featuring Agathe Kunz, a BFH-HAFL Agriculture master’s student who spent two months in Cambodia in 2022

The BUILD Fund is an investment fund supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries. Its main objective is to contribute to poverty alleviation, reduce gender inequalities and promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth. One of the four investment sectors is food security, nutrition and agribusiness.

A Syngenta partnership has led to major improvements in a Kenyan seed-processing facility. The primary beneficiaries will be the country’s smallholders.

Profile of Peter Schmidt, who has worked in development aid for over 30 years. The turning point in his life came on his first visit to India, as part of an extended internship for the agricultural science degree programme at ETH Zurich.

A multidisciplinary project led by the AgroEcological Transition Group at ETH Zurich aims to understand the links between collective decision-making and ecological footprints in coffee and soybean value chains.

Im Biovision Projekt arbeiten Kleinbauern, Behörden und Wissenschaftlerinnen zusammen, um im semiariden Distrikt Kongwa in Zentraltansania wirkungsvolle agrarökologische Methoden gegen Trockenheit und Erosion zu erproben und umzusetzen.

news by Syngenta Foundation about its efforts across Africa and Asia to reduce some of the barriers rural women face when fulfilling their crucial role in the provision of food security

news by CDE about a new project that aims to help improve development pathways for small-scale farming in Laos and Cambodia through novel approaches in three areas: farming systems, scaling up pathways beyond the farm level, and education and capacity building

Ideas to boost sorghum production, innovate sorghum seed business or the sorghum food market, or to improve livelihoods for smallholder sorghum producers, can be proposed for presentation at the 21st Century Global Sorghum Conference, submission deadline: 24 April 2023

news by Agroscope about Lucius Tamm, a proven expert in organic farming and agroecology, joining Agroscope as responsible for the strategy process as preparation for the new 2026–2029 Work Programme, as well as for the further development of international collaborations

SFIAR offers awards for graduates and scientists of a Swiss institution who work in agricultural research for development. It recognizes new, innovative and result-oriented research. The best PostDoc/Team project wins CHF 10,000 and the best master's thesis CHF 1,000.

The CGIAR Food Systems Accelerator initiative announced 10 agribusinesses from East and Southern Africa at the launch event in Kigali, Rwanda, on 22 February 2023. The agribusinesses are located in Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, and Rwanda. The initiative aims to support climate-resilient agriculture.

news by the ETH World Food System Center about the continuation of its public lecture series providing a variety of perspectives on the topic of agroecology, with experts speaking about benefits as well as limitations

press release by FiBL about the publication of the latest edition of "The World of Organic Agriculture" showing a continued growth of organic farmland and retail sales worldwide

article in the latest issue of SDC's magazine "One World" about an SDC supported initiative aiming to mainstream ecological agriculture into national production systems in Africa by 2025

News by WTI on the publication of an updated report as part of the project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine-Africa".

interview by CDE with Markus Giger - CDE scientist for 30 years, leading figure behind the global Land Matrix network and former SFIAR president - about his work and career

news by Syngenta Foundation about a presentation at a recent conference in India on how a public-private partnership can play a key role in making improved maize seeds available

The SOR4D review panel recently recommended seven projects for funding, including "Agroecology for Resilient Territories in Senegal" and "Dynamic cocoa agroforestry in action in Ghana". Second call for proposals closes 13 February 2023.

news by the ETH World Food System Center about some 2022 highlights from its projects across Africa to improve the resilience of city region food systems

The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub website has launched. Access various resources, upcoming events, the mandate, and biennal work plan.

Find out more about how the Syngenta Foundation is helping small-scale tea growers in India earn a better income.

Over the past year, HEKS/EPER worked on a new Strategy for the years 2023 to 2027, setting key priorities in the process to enable HEKS/EPER to deal with future developments and challenges.

In diesem FiBL Focus Talk: Die gesetzlichen Grundlagen werden im Moment sowohl in der EU als auch in der Schweiz neu verhandelt. Die drei Gäste sind die Wissenschaftlerin Monika Messmer vom FiBL, Martin Bossard von Bio Suisse, und Charlotte Aichholz, Pflanzenzüchterin bei Sativa Rheinau.

news by Syngenta Foundation about a recent workshop where stakeholders exchanged ideas on how to advance Nigeria’s agricultural R&D agenda

Carlo Gamper Cardinali from the Department of Crop Sciences at FiBL recently won an ISHS Young Minds Award for his project "Seed treatments for the control of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. phaseolicola in organic production of bean: establishing test prerequisites".

The Naga people of Myanmar have deep historic, cultural, and spiritual ties to their land, which they manage according to their customary tenure systems. One of these practices is called shifting cultivation or "Jhum". This nine-minute film was made by RRtIP and CDE.

news by the Word Trade Institute about its updated report as part of the project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa"

news by Syngenta Foundation about a project in Myanmar where the foundation, together with partners, helps smallholders get better Groundnut (peanut) varieties – particularly those containing more oleic acid

story by BFH-HAFL with MSc in Life Sciences graduate Laura Kuonen discussing her recent paper, the publishing process and what she’s working on now

The Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) programme invites researchers and development actors from policy and practice to collaborate in transnational and transdisciplinary consortia. The submission deadline is 13 February 2023.

In the most recent issue of the University of Bern’s magazine, Sabin Bieri and Theresa Tribaldos of CDE call for a move away from standardized food production and processing in an interview which also touches on global food trade, industrialised monocultures and local food systems.

Blicken Sie noch einmal mit Helvetas zurück – mit zwölf Momentaufnahmen aus einem aussergewöhnlichen Jahr.

In collaboration with the Swiss Society for Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Sociology, the World Food System Center held a webinar in December discussing the needs and challenges of implementing social sustainability standards in our food systems.

New CIMMYT research sheds light on farmer maize preferences in Ethiopia and western Kenya.

news by Syngenta Foundaton about a recent study identifying initiatives, spending levels, and drivers of Indonesia’s public R&D spending on food and agriculture, investigating the gaps faced by low-income farmers and consumers and recommending how to tackle these gaps

HarvestPlus and Syngenta are partnering to increase the availability of biofortified seeds while developing the capacity of women as change-agents across the value chain. The collaboration will bring nutrition and livelihood benefits to smallholder farming households in several countries across Africa and Asia.

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) will provide funding for the NatureFinance project, to enable financial institutions in developing countries to give biological diversity more consideration when financing economic activities.

In the latest Swiss Society for African studies newsletter, Anja Soldat summarizes discussions at the Swiss Researching Africa Days on how to decolonize Swiss-Africa research collaborations.

Helvetas welcomes the historic agreement on biodiversity and will closely monitor its implementation. As strong proponents of agroecology – entailing the minimization of agro-chemical use - they nevertheless believe that the demand to halve the use of hazardous chemicals by 2030 is insufficient.

The "Biodiversity boost through regenerative organic agroforestry in Central Ghana" project from FiBL aims to improve farm resilience and biodiversity by implementing agroforestry in current monoculture orange plantations. It also focuses on finding a viable waste management solution for the by-products from orange peel processing.

press release by BFH about the closing event of the Pinoy Tannin project aiming to add value to side streams from the local forestry and agriculture value chains in the Philippines

Article in the magazine "Global" about the necessity to correct imbalances of power in North-South research cooperation, where countries of the South are mostly researched with research funds and concepts from the North.

The European Commission has published the Horizon Europe 2023-2024 Work Programmes containing the funding opportunities in Horizon Europe for the next two years. They cover all major domains including food and agriculture.

news by ETH World Food System Center about the launch of a partnership with Bayer focused on sustainable agricultural systems and production practices; Bayer will be supporting interdisciplinary research projects with a total donation of 1.1 million Swiss francs over the next four years

In an interview in the latest issue of the University of Bern’s magazine, Sabin Bieri and Theresa Tribaldos of CDE call for a move away from standardized food production and processing.

A staggering 828 million people worldwide are currently hungry. The FDFA's article describes how climate change, conflicts, COVID-19, and economic crises have created this global food shortage.

Jane Carter's blog for Helvetas describes a project which aims to improve the livelihoods of rural communities through enhanced income from non-timber forest products as well as promoting sustainable natural resource management.

news by BFH-HAFL about the publication of a joint ebook by BFH-HAFL and University of Bern staff showcasing regeneration processes by local villagers in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco

blog post by Syngenta Foundation executive director Simon Winter about the plight and needs of smallholders and the opportunities for supporting them

In October, farmers in the Philippine Province of Antique harvested a substantial amount of beta-carotene-enriched Golden Rice for the first time – namely a total of 67 tonnes from 17 fields. ETH Professor Emeritus Ingo Potrykus, the father and inventor of Golden Rice, sees its cultivation in the Philippines as a breakthrough.

news by SDC about the consequences of the drought in East Africa and about its activities in the region, supporting development projects and humanitarian relief efforts to mitigate the crisis

news by ETH about the RUNRES project in which ETH researchers together with African partners are creating circular economies that use processed organic waste and human excreta as fertilizer or animal feed, resulting in higher crop yields and new jobs.

Das neue kostenlose und benutzerfreundliche Risikoanalyse-Tool der Berner Fachhochschule BFH-HAFL und der AGRIDEA hilft die Situation des Bauernhofs diesbezüglich umfassend einzuschätzen. Am FarmXchange 2022 vom 2. Dezember wird das Tool in der Praxis eingesetzt.

Food Day @ETH 2022 brought together a diverse audience from academia, industry, government and international organizations for interactive discussions and workshops on food systems innovation and research. The proceedings and other outcomes are now available.

news by BFH-HAFL about an event that focused on strengthening collaboration and exchange between Swiss and Cambodian Universities and members of the Swiss institutions based in Cambodia

FiBL's "Faces of Organic Cotton" series aims to make the people more visible, whose lives are closely linked to organic cotton and the SysCom-Project. The result is eleven portraits in which people provide a very personal insight into their everyday lives.

An article from Agrinatura examines how the platform of an alliance of stakeholders can improve the implementation of the Africa Union – European Union Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) Roadmap through a sustainable governance and funding mechanism.

An interview by the Syngenta Foundation with John Mundy, Head of Climate Finance and Technology Partnerships at One Acre Fund, examines which companies and technologies could most help smallholders, and where is remote sensing headed in smallholder farming.

post in ETH Zukunftsblog in which Prof. Robert Finger outlines the most important fields of action to make the food system more sustainable

Videos from an ETH public lecture series on agroecology highlighting the principles of biodiversity, animal health, social values, participation, and land and natural resource use governance

The public lecture series published online by ETH World Food System Center highlights the principles of biodiversity, animal health, social values, participation, and land and natural resource use governance.

Experts of FiBL, together with specialists from Africa, have compiled an extensive manual for trainers on animal-friendly, small to medium organic chicken husbandry. The manual and the associated PowerPoint presentation are available for free download.

news by ETH about two studies revealing the inadequacy of voluntary commitments to avoid buying Brazilian soybeans grown in areas that have recently been deforested

article about a visit to a new generation of coffee farmers in Peru by Samuel Brülisauer, doctoral student at CDE and contributor to the COMPASS project studying cocoa and coffee value chains in Peru and Switzerland

An article from Swissaid examines the findings of the food report published by the Sufosec Alliance on the occasion of World Food Day.

The new technical guide elaborated by FiBL experts provides information for the choice of the suitable seedling production system to those who want to start with organic seedling production, and valuable recommendations for improvements to farmers who are already growing seedlings.

news by ETH World Food System Center in the context of the world food day, highlighting the importance of youth engagement to achieve sustainable food systems in Switzerland and around the world

news by Syngenta Foundation highlighting the stories of some of the women farmers the foundation works with in rural western Kenya

A news article from ETH WFSC showcases how new collaborative research looking at planting densities and nutrient management to create a site-specific decision support tool for farmer in Nigeria.

media release by FiBL about the release of two new organic cotton varieties after more than ten years of breeding within a decentralised organic participatory breeding program of FiBL Switzerland and partners (winner of SFIAR Award 2021)

news by Syngenta Foundation about a $300,000 competitive grant awarded together with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) to World Vision to unlock agriculture’s potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

An article from the World Trade Institute on three days of debates between academics, policy-makers, agricultural production and trade specialists, from 6 to 8 September 2022 in Tashkent.

A project showcase from biovision on building an enabling environment for agroecological enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa.

An article from the ETH World Food System Center providing a project update and showcasing a recent workshop with local stakeholders in Ghana focused on increasing the adoption of agroforestry on farms.

An article from Swissaid on emergency aid project in the south of Niger. The farmers in need have received food packages and have been able to plant fast-growing seeds for almost immediate consumption. Beyond the emergency, the project has allowed a conversion to more resistant and quality crops for fight against the climate change.

news by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) about its new structure with three geographical divisions, one thematic division and one multilateral division, which is valid from September 1st

An article from the Syngenta Foundation on a recent workshop aimed to set a sector-wide agenda aligned with Cambodia’s fishery policies.

news by Syngenta Foundation about a new cowpea variety that is on its way to Nigerian smallholders through a licensing agreement facilitated by the Foundation and New Markets Lab

An article from Helvetas describes a project that facilitates and promotes micro-initiatives for nutrition sensitive agriculture, processing and marketing practices on local and national levels. Helvetas advisory services support country offices of Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan which implement the project components in these countries.

An interview published by SNSF with Johanna Jacobi, an Assistant Professor for Agroecological Transitions at ETH Zurich, who through her scientific work aims to bring us closer to ecology.

An article from ETH World Food System Center with impressions from an open discussion about sustainable pest management systems and the exchange among interdisciplinary experts from agronomy, agroecology, human toxicology, ecotoxicology and agricultural economics and policy.

A policy brief from Helvetas on the global food price crisis that includes insights on how the crisis is affecting Helvetas' partner countries, and urgent measures that need to be taken.

FiBL announces that the sixth edition of the State of Sustainable Markets report was launched in September 2021 as an e-book and is now available as a PDF. Furthermore, data and statistics are available online in an interactive format at the ITC’s Standards Map website.

News from FiBL on a visit of nearly 30 Indian delegates with various political representatives to FiBL in Frick. The visit was organized by the International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA). The purpose of this visit was the promotion of organic agriculture in three Indian states.

news by SDC with Swiss ambassador Nathalie Chuard sharing insights into Switzerland's activities in Bangladesh, such as an initiative to help small farmers on river islands

news by the Syngenta Foundation about its efforts for seed sector development in Myanmar and specifically its support to the Myanmar Seeds Association

news by the World Trade Institute about the first outcome of the project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa", providing an overview of the pre-war Ukraine's exports of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil

news by Syngenta Foundation about its efforts to make tractors accessible for smallholders, working with a leasing company and a provider of loans

news by the ETH about the identiification by researchers from ETH , the United States and Uganda of the gene responsible for resistance in certain cassava cultivars against the devastating cassava mosaic disease

A playlist of video highlights from World Food System Center research projects, including such projects as "Enhancing smallholder farmers` climate resilience" in the tropics.

A newly funded interdisciplinary project will focus on using smartphone images of fields to create visualizations of past and future crop development. This project is the first funded through the research initiative launched by the World Food System Center and fenaco cooperative on the topic of Smart Sustainable Farming.

Applications are open for two new fully online course. The deadline to register for the courses has been extended to 31 July 2022. Each programme is organized around thematic topics towards practical ICM solutions. They are led by ICM experts from the co-organising institutions (CABI and the University of Neuchâtel).

News release by University of Zurich about an international study with UZH participation showing that when a plant community is exposed to drought, the different species undergo evolutionary changes which leads to improved resilience to future drought stress over time

interview with Alessandra Roversi of the SDC Global Programme Food Security about humanitarian action in Ukraine and the need to strengthen systemic approaches to healthy and sustainable food systems.

media release by Public Eye about a new report by the coalition «No Patents on Seeds» highlighting that patents on genes and genetic variations can block access to biological diversity for plant breeding

In diesem "FiBL Focus Talk": Zwei Biobauern aus der Ukraine erzählen, was sie in diesen ersten Kriegsmonaten erlebt haben und wie es ihnen und ihren Höfen heute geht.

news by BFH-HAFL about the international project "Going Bananas" within which it supports farming families in the Carmen region of the Philippines in establishing a sustainable farming system.

new website by KFPE documenting the outcomes of a workshop with researchers from the Global South and the Global North discussing opportunities and challenges of digitalisation for global research collaboration

Post in ETH "Zukunfts" blog by ETH Professor Achim Walter calling for a food system that is plant based, low on waste and rich in variety.

news by SNSF about the 12 newly approved projects under its Swiss Programme for International Research by Scientific Investigation Teams (SPIRIT)

Interview by Syngenta Foundation with Katrin Kuhlmann of New Markets Lab about two studies on African seed systems, future needs in seed markets, and further aspects of international trade legislation.

news from CDE about a new game designed for students in Switzerland and Laos offering an in-depth learning experience of the system dynamics of a global agricultural commodity value chain

An article from Swissaid describes a project launched by the Colombian alliance “Guardianas de los Páramos”, of which SWISSAID is a member, which aims to protect the ecosystems of six municipalities in the Boyacá region.

In the framework of the RUNRES project, ETH Zurich doctoral student Mélanie Surchat seeks to understand, from the workers’ perspective, the potential of the biowaste economy to create decent work opportunities (especially for youth and women).

Article in the SDC magazine "One World" about the Aceli Africa programme that supports small and medium agri-enterprises in Africa with a mix of financial incentives and promotes gender inclusion and the creation of jobs.

CDE researcher Nicole Harari on the relevance of the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the contribution of CDE to the ongoing Conference of the Parties

interview by CDE with Elena Zepharovich about her dissertation on deforestation and environmental justice in the Argentinean Chaco

In diesem "FiBL Focus Talk": Die Ukraine ist einer der wichtigsten Lebens- und Futtermittelexporteure weltweit. Mit Russland erzeugt sie ein Drittel des globalen Weizens.

The SDC is in the process of conducting an external evaluation of phase 1 for the RUNRES project (The rural-urban nexus: Establishing a nutrient loop to improve city region food system resilience). Deadline for proposals: 6 May 2022

TedX-Talk organized by IHEID in which Frank Eyhorn, CEO of Biovision, argues that food is currently one of the most powerful levers for changing things for good

A blog post from Helvetas that describes how by addressing supply chain constraints and food environment weaknesses, the Leadership to Ensure Adequate Nutrition project, implemented by a consortium of NGOs, has triggered positive changes that benefit the most disadvantaged communities.

An interview from the Syngenta Foundation with Lucy Kioko, its latest Regional Director for East Africa. She talks about why she joined the organisation, and where she sees her work heading. Lucy also talked about women in agriculture, East African examples to others, and why ugali is hard to beat…

An update from FiBL on the organisation's response plan to help the organic sector of Ukraine mitigate the effects of recent events.

The newsletter shares information about our 10+ Years of Collaboration celebrations plus other education and outreach activities.

interview by Syngenta Foundation with Salif Kante, its country director in Mali, on how his typical day looks like, on the challenges he and the team are currently facing, and where we could be in 2030

news by CDE about the results of a doctoral study in Laos on the effects of land aquisitions by private investors

An article from SWISSAID on the effects of the war in Ukraine, and the fall of what exports on the most vulnerable populations in African countries.

news by Syngenta Foundation about the Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) project that started recently in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Rwanda with the goal to improve urban nutrition and health and to reduce poverty

press release by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on the International Cooperation Forum 2022 taking place in Geneva and aiming to find new solutions to the problems caused by climate change and challenges facing international cooperation

ETH World Food System Center's Annual Report 2021, summarizes highlights from WFSC's research, education, and outreach activities over the past year.

An article from ETH World Food Systems Center about a recently-hosted short course for food systems professionals on designing for food systems resilience using a circular approach. During the 4-day course, 34 professionals from 21 countries came together to learn and collaborate in a highly interactive online program.

Yuan Zhou, leader of Syngenta Foundation's policy research and China Program, talks on three studies on subsidies and soil health in China published by the Foundation togehter with The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

The Africa Strategy 2021-2025, which has recently been published, positions the Research Institute of Oranic Agriculture FiBL as a bridge builder between research and development and is considered a guideline for work in and with Africa.

An article from the Syngenta Foundation showcases a recent study of the consequences of climate change for coffee, avocado and cashew crops that generated an international media response. The study is based on calculations made with CONSUS, an agricultural planning tool developed with the Syngenta Foundation support.

press release by SDC and SECO, referring to the 62 project entries from young people for this year's Youth and Future Prize, the winners of which will be presented on 31 March 2022 at the International Cooperation Forum in Geneva

article by Swissaid criticizing the new genetic engineering technologies and the power relations as well as the industrial agricultural system behind them, and advocating instead for a change towards sustainable and equitable agriculture

article by Syngenta Foundation about a new partnership between Agri-Entrepreneur Growth Foundation and the Indo-Swiss food company Innoterra to provide smallholders with digital services, including the possibility to lease farm animals

Kleinbäuer*innen im globalen Süden produzieren meist klimafreundlich und sind gleichzeitig stark von den Auswirkungen des Klimawandels betroffen. Solidar unterstützt sie in El Salvador und Burkina Faso mit agrarökologischen Methoden.

as part of their annual international conference KFPE and SUDAC host a series of digital workshops in the period before and after the event, Swiss North-South research actors can submit workshop proposal until 25 March 2022

An article from SWISSAID showcasing its rapid and targeted emergency aid to the Dosso region of Niger, as part of which the organisation procured and distributed 62 kilograms of fast-growing seeds that the farmers needed to survive over the next few months.

news by BFH-HAFL about the international agriculture student's experiences and impressions of their 6-month field assignments in Asia, Africa and Latin America

A news release from FiBL shares the findings of the 23rd edition of "The World of Organic Agriculture" and shows a positive trend seen in organic farmland and retail sales growth worldwide.

In 2020, the r4d programme funded seven initiatives to enable the implementation of research findings. A new series of seven overview articles, illustrate how r4d research contributes to sustainable development.

news by Syngenta Foundation about its efforts In Nigeria to help smallholders raise their yields by facilitatating licensing of newly approved cowpea varieties

A news release from CDE on the report released in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) that launches a call to action for policymakers worldwide seeking to develop sustainable and equitable solutions to the most urgent global challenges.

A spotlight story from CDE about a project analysing Nepal’s cardamom value chain.

The World Food Systems Center at ETH shares a news update on the Flagship Project Enhancing Resilience in Food Systems. In 2021 the project continued to move forward, holding stakeholder workshops and publishing results aimed at creating operational approaches for decision-makers to design food systems resilience.

in this ETH World Food System Center news article Jaboury Ghazoul, Professor of Ecosystem Management at ETH Zurich, comments on the importance of soil health to agricultural sustainability and how agribusinesses can help feed microbes as well as people

A news article from Solidar Suisse on joining as a new member of Alliance Sud, the joint platform for development policy of the most important Swiss NGOs.

FAO & the International Association of students in Agricultural and related Sciences (IAAS) are launching the Youth for Climate-Resilient Agriculture Competition to support young actors of better food systems.

This digital map, developed by KFPE and the r4d programme, is a new tool that aims to comprehensively document and visualise the diverse Swiss research partnerships with institutions in low- and middle-income countries.

An interview with Swissinfo, Prof. Em. Thomas Cottier, former Managing Director of the WTI, in which he talks about the significant environmental impact of the production and trade of goods in a globalised market.

The SNSF and SDC have launched the Solution-oriented Research for Development Programme (SOR4D) It will support transdisciplinary research and it will last from 2022 to 2026. The call for projects will be published in the first quarter of 2022.

The report on the SECO Roundtable on Trade, Climate Change and the SDGs has been published.

The roundtable was jointly organised by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) and the World Trade Institute (WTI).

An article from the Syngenta Foundation on the successes of its entrepreneur program in Bangladesh, Changing Economics of Santals Through Agriculture (ChESTA).

news by SDC about its Nutrition in Mountain Agroecosystems project, carried out by IFOAM, through which hundreds of mountain farmers have received training on a more diversified and ecologically sound approach to agriculture

The SFIAR Award Ceremony scheduled for 15 December 2021 under the title "How to ensure sustainable & inclusive value chains: Examples of cotton and cocoa" will now be held ONLINE. Deadline for registrations: 13 December 2021

media release by the Swiss Coalition for the Right to Seed calling for the abolition of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) on the occasion of its 60th birthday

An article from FiBL Switzerland on an intertnational workshop to disseminate the results of its SysCom programme, comparing organic and conventional cocoa cultivation in monoculture and agroforestry systems in Bolivia.

SECO, UBS Optimus Foundation, Credit Suisse Foundation and SDC launched the Sustainable Development Goals Impact Finance Initiative aiming to mobilize up to one billion Swiss francs in private capital to advance measurable impact in developing countries

news by CDE about the Cluster of Cooperation (CLOC) East Africa and the Horn, a network of researchers and institutions that aims to foster North–South partnerships for research and education

Press release from CDE announcing the launch of a new platform that provides easy access to a large range of development-relevant indicators from various thematic sectors, including statistics and maps on agricultural land use and forest management.

The latest issue of SDC Development Magazine "One World" focuses on the role of research in reducing poverty and environmental degradation, and provides clear cases from food security.

media release by Public Eye about a study on the export of insecticides based on so-called neonicotinoids from the European Union, where these active ingredients are banned, to countries such as Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa or Ghana

What do Kenyan women farmers think of organics? Why should cocoa be grown in agroforestry systems? Four FiBL researchers discuss the opportunities and limitations of organic farming in the developing world.

news by ETH World Food System Center about the publication of an evluation report on the Mercator Program on Agroecology and Organic Farming

news by FiBL about the "Food Systems Caravan" project that disseminated research results of local projects of the Swiss r4d programme in West Africa and produced a film showcasing the agroecological renaissance of West Africa

news by Syngenta Foundation about a discussion on future agriculture and food research and development in Nigeria where a stucy commissioned by the Foundation was discussed

news by SNF on the outcome of a joint call launched with the National Foundation for Science & Technology Development (NAFOSTED) in Vietnam

news by Biovision about a project in Kenya where researchers and farmers have established a community seedbank to cultivate traditional crops that can improve both health and livelihoods

news by FiBL about a pilot project with local partners that tests organic farming training for East African smallholders via mobile phones

news by Biovision about their Farmer Communication Programme that aims to empower smallholders to improve their diets and their income and to protect the environment

news by Syngenta Foundation about the launch of the Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) project together with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Sight and Life and ETH Zürich

news article by SDC about a new early warning technology to increase resilience agains flooding implemented in an SDC project in Cambodia

An article from FiBL about the winning platform in the contest "Digital Excellence in Agriculture in Europe and Central Asia", organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

A blog from the Helvetas team showcasing the Nyèsigi project to rehabilitate dams and increase water availability for the benefit of farmers, herders and fishermen.

The jury panel, chaired by the FAO and the Government of Switzerland, announced the winners of the International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture at the World Food Forum event.

A blog post from Helvetas takes a look at projects in Latin America with a focus on supporting governance structures.

The sixth edition of the State of Sustainable Markets report provides the latest facts and figures on standard-compliant land and agricultural and forestry products.

News and summary of the SWISSAID report showcasing the stories of six women farmers, addressed to the UN Secretary General.

An interview with CDE scientist Markus Giger, one of the main authors of the report of the Land Matrix Initiative, an independent network that documents and monitors large-scale agricultural land deals around the globe

An interview from the Syngenta Foundation with Kundhavi Kadiresan, CGIAR’s Managing Director of Global Engagement and Innovation about what ‘One CGIAR’ means in practice

An article from Biovision discussing the outlook for the UN Food System Summit 23-24 September and how we can bring about its transformation.

Press release from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs highlighting the recent meeting to stress cross-regional support for the transformation towards sustainable food systems between the Swiss Confederation, Senegal, and Costa Rica, ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit in New York.

press release by FDFA about a meeting of the heads of state of the three countries to discuss innovative solutions from farm to fork that emerged in the run-up to the UN Food Systems Summit and define common priorities

On 17 September, the Federal Council initiated transitional measures until Switzerland achieves its stated aim of full association in Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

The SHIFT Prize honours collaborative agroecological research projects that have made an exemplary contribution to transforming food systems. The SysCom project is carried out by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) with numerous partner organizations in Bolivia, India, and Kenya.

At Scientifica, the World Food System Center presented a workshop to share more about how cocoa goes from the farmer’s tree to become a bar of chocolate.

This MOOC covers the interlinkages between food, nutrition, and agri-food systems, and the importance of adopting a multisectoral and multidisciplinary approach for promoting healthy diets and nutrition through food systems.

interview by Syngenta Foundation with Kundhavi Kadiresan,Managing Director of Global Engagement and Innovation of the CGIAR, about the key points of the research organization's reform process

recording of the recent virtual symposium organized by Helvetas, where experts in development cooperation discussed the food security challenges facing cities in the Global South

In the video series "Ask the Expert", experts from ETH Zurich answer questions from the community. In this episode Bruno Studer talks about molecular plant breeding.

news by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) about the renewal of the partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) aiming to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

Organic agriculture has the potential to improve both crop yields and incomes of smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa substantially – this is shown in a unique collaborative study from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and its partners that has just been published in the renowned journal Global Environmental Change.

news by Syngenta Foundation about its Strategy 2021-2025 aiming to help smallholder agriculture become climate smarter and more resilient

An article recapping Syngenta Foundation webinar that showcased farmers’ success in Kenya. The webinar focused on a farming system in the semi-arid area north of Mount Kenya.

An interview by BFH-HAFL with Soe Khaing, a teacher at Yezin Agricultural University (YAU) and a master’s student at HAFL about his experience studying in Switzerland and working to digitise the farmer experience in Myanmar.

In this article FiBL researchers test the Smart Mix approach for sustainable supply chains.

An article from Solidar Suisse about plantation workers' struggle for livelihoods in Indonesia and Malaysia due to Covid mobility restrictions.

News from CDE about the launch of a new platform Academy 2030

A news article describing a recent meeting of experts from FiBL and BFH-HAFL with Plantation Minister and top Government officials of Sri Lanka to discuss the country’s vision for plantation sector and approach taken to embrace organic fertilizer challenge.

An article from the Syngenta Foundation examines the different definitions of agroecology and how agroecology can translate into practical action for smallholder farming.

An article from Biovision talks about how agroecology was officially recognized as one of the game changing solutions at the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit.

The FAO elearning Academy announces the publication of the course “Introduction to the Farmer Field School Approach”

A press release from the Federal Office of Agriculture on Switzerland’s participation in the pre-summit for the UN Food System Summit in Rome from 26 to 28 July 2021.

An article from FiBL describing latest findings from comparative research in Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Bolivia, and India as presented at the side event for the Science Days of the UN Food System Summit.

An interview with Christine Schneeberger, Deputy Head of Global Cooperation at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), ahead of the Food Systems preparatory Summit in Rome.

A news article describes the visit of experts from Switzerland to study Sri Lanka’s agriculture ecosystem soon after the country's decision to ban chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

News article from Agrinatura about the NUTRIMAN project, a thematic network on nitrogen and phosphorus that brings together scientific knowledge on bio-based fertilisers.

news by Syngenta Foundation about seed fairs organised by the Foundation's Nigeria team together with partners, giving smallholders the chance to see varieties that could raise their yield and income

news by the ETH World Food System Center about the main outcomes of the webinar "Transforming Food Systems through Agroecology" it co-organized together with partners to share knowledge on the role of agroecology in improving resilience of farming and food systems

article by Biovision about the potential of agroecology to protect the climate and to improve the adaptation to climate change, confirmed by a visit on a Kenyan farm and by a recent report published with FiBL and FAO

This conference organized by KFPE brought together actors from academia, civil society, private sector, administration and politics to discuss the role of research for transformation; the presentations are now available.

A news article by ETH World Food Systems Center highlights insights from a panel discussion focused on enhancing biodiversity and resilience in agriculture for environmental wellbeing.

article by SWISSAID about a new project on local, almost forgotten crops, aiming to demonstrate their nutritional benefits, supporting farmers to improve their cultivation, and strengthening farmers’ seed systems

video by the Federal Office for Agriculture with a short review by the Swiss delegation at the 42nd Session of the FAO conference that focused on the transformation of agri-food systems

press release by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs about the decision by the Federal Council to renew and increase Switzerland's contribution to IFAD supporting IFAD's ambition to double its impact by 2030

press release by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation about the launch of calls for project proposals under Horizon Europe and the participation of Swiss researchers

news by ETH Zürich about the outcomes of a research project that investigated whether a mix of crops is more productive on arable land than just one crop, specifically with regard to yield

News from ETH Zurich, where researchers have developed a rapid test for measuring soil quality on site that should allow farmers to monitor the health of their land.

new von Biovision über den Einsatz chemisch-synthetischer Pestizide in Kenia und die Folgen für die Gesundheit der Bevölkerung

news by BFH-HAFL about the outcomes of its annual event dedicated to addressing the question “How does applied research address the food and climate emergencies?”

news by the ETH World Food System Center about the publication of a new short film series, highlighting the results of several of its cross-disciplinary and solution-oriented research projects that address food system challenges

news von Solidar Suisse zu ihrem Projekt in El Salvador, wo Jugendliche dank widerstandsfähigen Pflanzensorten und ökologischer Landwirtschaft eine Zukunftsperspektive erhalten

The article describes CDE's new strategy on how the organization will contribute to the implementation of the 2030 agenda.

In collaboration with GreenBuzz and the Plant Science Center, the WFSC held a virtual event focused on increasing the resilience of food systems to climate change.

news by Syngenta Foundation about a project of its team in India to spread the use of the ‘Happy Seeder’, a special sowing machine that avoids the need to burn crop residues and can raise yields of the following crop

Podcast Interview with WTI Fellow Christian Häberli by Master's students at the the University of Hamburg, Germany.