Mapping agroecology in Switzerland

Abstract

The intensification and globalization of agriculture has led to the unfolding of significant environmental, economic and social problems in the food system. Agroecology has emerged as a path towards the solution of these crises. Its relevance as a holistic paradigm for food system transformation has been widely recognized. To support its expansion, the mapping of agroecology has emerged as an essential tool to document its development and current state. No mapping project on agroecological initiatives in Switzerland had been done. The aim of this thesis was thus to identify agroecology-related initiatives and provide an overview of the understanding, development and present state of agroecology in Switzerland. To achieve this, desktop research was combined with 14 key-informant interviews and an online survey distributed to initiatives Swiss-wide. The term agroecology is not widely used in Switzerland yet but it is starting to influence the policy debate around future food systems in the country. A wide variety of initiatives in the categories of science, practice, social movement, education and living labs is already actively contributing to the agroecological transformation of the Swiss food system. Many of these initiatives do not explicitly refer to agroecology, but they all work in accordance with several agroecological principles. Continuing strong efforts from social movements to break down economic and political barriers, as well as actively uniting a variety of stakeholders, in particular farmers and food producers, will be crucial for the further development of agroecology in Switzerland.