CDE researcher Gabi Sonderegger has received the Bernese Award for Environmental Research for her dissertation analysing how voluntary sustainability standards in agriculture address spillover effects beyond their immediate sphere of action. Her research systematically examined 100 major standards and 21 ecological, social, and economic spillover effects, highlighting important gaps—particularly regarding socio-economic impacts such as labour migration. The work contributes to ongoing debates on sustainability governance in globally interconnected agricultural systems and provides insights for policymakers and standard-setting organizations seeking to improve the effectiveness of sustainability instruments.

At the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Biovision convened a panel discussion on how agroecological enterprises can scale their impact and contribute to sustainable food systems. The discussion highlighted the importance of supportive political frameworks, visibility for successful agroecological businesses, and new tools such as Biovision’s Business Agroecology Criteria Tool (B-ACT) to assess alignment with agroecological principles. By showcasing enterprises that combine economic viability with environmental and social goals, Biovision aims to strengthen the case for agroecology in global food and agriculture policy debates.

A coalition of Swiss NGOs and development organizations has released the manifesto “Locally owned. Globally backed. A Manifesto for Locally Led Action,” calling for a stronger shift toward locally led development approaches. The signatories commit to strengthening local ownership, promoting equitable partnerships, improving access to flexible financing, and addressing power imbalances in international cooperation. The manifesto also calls on donors to align funding and partnership practices with locally led action and aims to influence the future strategies and collaboration models of Swiss development actors.

FiBL has launched a new project to develop simple tools for monitoring soil health in cocoa production systems. The initiative aims to identify practical soil health indicators that farmers and advisers can use directly in the field, supporting more sustainable cocoa farming. An initial online workshop brought together international experts to discuss indicators and measurement approaches, with further workshops planned to refine the framework.

FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International have released the 2026 edition of The World of Organic Agriculture, providing updated global data on organic land (98.9 million hectares), producers (4.8 million), retail sales (145 billion euros), and policy developments worldwide.

The report highlights growing policy support for agroecology and organic agriculture, transnational research collaboration, and implementation challenges across regions.

The publication offers an evidence base on global trends, policy frameworks, and research networks relevant to sustainable food systems and international agricultural research partnerships.