Activities
Research, education and outreach happenings in the context of ETH Studio AgroFood.
Research
With the advent of smart farming, agriculture has now entered the era of big data. Drones, robots and intelligent imaging should soon be boosting farmyard efficiency and sustainability. Switzerland’s characteristic smallholdings could be one of the chief beneficiaries. More in ETH News
To Achim Walter it’s clear: the budding artificial intelligence will decisively advance agroecology. But before we can harvest the fruits of AI, computers still have a lot to learn. Read blog
Agricultural technology doesn’t have a good reputation. And yet, developed intelligently, it’s the key to enhancing sustainability and biodiversity in agriculture, says Achim Walter. Read blog
Where and how we cultivate our crops has always been a matter of dispute – and is today more relevant than ever. But there will be no easy answers in the foreseeable future, says Achim Walter. Read blog
A new opinion paper in PNAS highlights the opportunities and challenges of increased information and communication technology use in agriculture. A team of WFSC member authors contributed to the article, including Studio AgroFood lead Prof. Achim Walter. Read more
Digitalization is drastically changing the agro-food sector. In the ETH-Zukunftsblog, Project Manager Eduardo Pérez comments on how can we move forward responsibly. Read blog
Education & Outreach
The ETH-Research Station for Plant Sciences, Strickhof and AgroVet-Strickhof opened their doors under the motto "Agriculture of the future - digital and sustainable?" At attractions, demonstrations and forums discussions, visitors discovered innovative tools to support more sustainable Swiss agriculture. Read more
Project Manager Dr. Eduardo Peréz led the new course «Innovation in Precision Agriculture» in fall 2018 and 2019. The course aimed enable students to proactively shape Agricultural Sciences and their applications for the future. Read more
The ETH Studio AgroFood was invited to have a stand and enjoyed the chance to meet representatives from companies, startups, and farmer associations at the event. Read more
At the event Smart Farming - What does it mean for Switzerland? in June 2018, Bundesrat Johann Schneider-Ammann, ETH president Lino Guzzella and Prof. Achim Walter shared their views with a public. The event was organized by the ETH Studio AgroFood, ETH Global, and the WFSC. Read more
Project Manager Dr. Eduardo Peréz presented at the Agridea workshop focused on digitalization in agriculture and decision support in November 2017. He provided a critical evaluation on the progress of digitalization in agriculture and the importance of the human component - the farmer - in the implementation of new technologies.
The workshop “Challenges of Digitalization in the AgroFood Sector” was held in May 2017 at ETH Zurich. The event, organized in collaboration with Swiss Food Research, provided different Swiss initiatives the opportunity to present and discuss their vision on digitalization in Switzerland and to connect with other stakeholders working on shared interests across the food value chain.
Project Manager Eduardo Pérez co-led a group of ETH students on an excursion to visit startups Ecorobotix and Gamaya. Each startup demonstrated their innovative technologies, allowing students to see practical digital technologies in action and discourse with the entrepreneurs. Read more