Experiencing Food at Olma 2018
At the special show "Experience Food" of this year’s Swiss Fair for Agriculture and Nutrition (Olma), visitors of all ages learned about the wonders of grains, from the field to the plate. ETH Zurich presented an exhibit at the show highlighting its innovative research on our food system, specifically the sustainable production of cereals.
On sunny days on St. Gallen, Switzerland, visitors gathered for ten days (11-21 October) at the Swiss Fair for Agriculture and Nutrition (Olma) to visit stands showcasing the latest products and innovations from Swiss agriculture and food industries. A special show, open to the general public, allowed all to "Experience Food (Erlebnis Nahrung).” With its focus on cereals, the show housed exhibits from Migros Cooperative, the Swiss Farmer’s Association (SBV), the Agricultural Information Service (LID), and ETH Zurich.
ETH Zurich presented an exhibit at the show highlighting its innovative research on our food system. Visitors could walk through and interact with many exhibit components to learn more about our food system and how our daily choices in what we eat matters. The Plant Science Center coordinated the exhibit, led by Dr. Juanita Schapler-Miller. The World Food System Center contributed content focusing on the issue of how we feed nine billion people in 2050 while ensuring human health, environmental sustainability, and social well-being for us all.
The exhibit showcased how ETH Zurich strives to play a leading role in providing new ideas to food system challenges across the globe. Researchers from many departments came together to show visitors how we can combat food waste and increase biodiversity, as well as to share stories about tef, a nutritious, traditional food from Ethiopia.
Over the ten days, a minimum of 16,000 visitors came to the ETH Zurich exhibit, with so many counting leaf openings using the microscope, experiencing a VR flight, checking the greenhouse for black soldier flies, or picking up a telephone to listen to stories about tef.
ETH Zurich at Olma 2018
Stefan Diener gives visitors a closer look at black soldier flies (Image: Michael Huwiler) Martijn Sonnvelt explains the Leaf Tracker technology (Image: Juanita Schläpfer-Miller)
Visitors could take a VR flight over grasslands (Image: Michael Huwiler)
Anna Gilgen explains crop mixtures to visitors (Image: WFSC) Kim Buchmüller leading visitors through a food digust survey (Image: WFSC)
Many visitors picked up a telephone to listen to stories about tef (Image: WFSC)
Young listeners of stories about the tef grain (Image: WFSC) The tef plant, an ancient grain, on display at exhibit (Image: Michael Huwiler)
We thank the Olma organizing committee for inviting ETH Zurich as a guest at the special show and to all those that stopped by to talk with us.
A special thanks to all the ETH Zurich researchers involved in creating the multifaceted exhibit, as well as all the student assistants who spent many hours engaging with our visitors.
Exhibit Contributors
Department of Environmental System Sciences
Prof. Nina Buchmann and Lukas Hörtnagl
Prof. Bruce McDonald, Petteri Karisto and Alexey Mikaberidze
Prof. Christian Schöb, Nadine Engbersen and Laura Stefan
Prof. Johan Six, Jonas Jörin, Kenza Benabderrazik and Luzian Messmer
Prof. Bruno Studer and Steven Yates
Department of Health Sciences and Technology
Prof. Laura Nyström, Cristina Lupo and Teresa Demuth
Prof. Alexander Mathys und Moritz Gold
Prof. Michael Siegrist, Aisha Egolf und Jeanine Ammann
Prof. Erich Windhab, Yi Chen and Sarah Gorgerat
Department of Biology
Prof. Samuel Zeeman and Wuyan Wang
World Food System Center
Jeanne E. Tomaszewski, Anna K. Gilgen and Martijn Sonnevelt
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Bram Dortmans und Christian Zurbrügg
Exhibit Organization
external pageZurich-Basel Plant Science Center
Juanita Schläpfer-Miller