Research for a Sustainable Swiss Food System: Foresight Study

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Background

Within the coming decades, global, national and local food systems are projected to face enormous and unprecedented challenges. These challenges are influenced by environmental, social, political, and economic changes taking place across geographical scales, which will affect core food systems outcomes such as food security, environmental health and social welfare. Research and policy strategies that take into account these changes and future projections are needed to address these challenges and to establish resilient food systems.

The ETH Zurich World Food System Center was commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture to conduct a foresight study that considers the implications of global trends and projections for the Swiss food system, and informs the development of a research strategy to ensure a sustainable Swiss food system in the next twenty years.

Objective

The two-stage project focuses around four main objectives.

The first stage (1) synthesizes current literature on global trends and drivers affecting the world food system today and in the future and (2) identifies major research questions that need to be addressed to achieve food and nutrition security, environmental health, and social welfare. 

The second stage (3) analyzes key implications of the global macro-trends for Switzerland (as identified in Stage 1); and (4) identifies major research themes for the Swiss food system that are critical in building a sustainable Swiss food system and are relevant based on stakeholder perspectives.

Research Approach

We take a multi-method approach which includes literature and policy reviews and synthesis; expert interviews; consultation with food system researchers and other stakeholders via an online questionnaire; and consultation with expert advisory groups.

Outcomes

The foresight project (1) summarizes global trends and drivers related to the food system; (2) identifies key implications of these trends for the Swiss food system; and (3) identifies research themes most relevant to achieve progress towards a sustainable Swiss food system.