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A study on result-based agri-environmental payments in Switzerland shows how payment design can affect biodiversity.

Numerous environmental labels are based on life cycle assessment in combination with other methods. Are these methods compatible, and is it actually necessary to combine them? An Agroscope study investigates with the issue. Environmental labels offer guidance to consumers for making quick environmentally friendly purchasing decisions. Some environmental labels use results from life cycle assessment,…

Microalgae do not need soil and produce more biomass than crops in the same period of time. The main applications of microalgae are currently food supplements, cosmetic products, animal feed and biofuels.

A new study by Agroscope and the ETH shows that there is no rural-urban divide in the prioritisation of agricultural policy goals. From very rural to very urban, the Swiss population puts economic objectives before environmental ones.

A global review of the literature shows that successful strategies for promoting organic agriculture vary from one region to another and require a combination of measures, e.g economic incentives coupled with educational and informational campaigns.

Geographical indications are essential for international cheese trading. A protected name such as Roquefort achieves a higher price premium than a compound name such as Gouda Holland where the cheese type (Gouda) itself is not protected.

Fluctuations in the price of fertilisers and agricultural products influence the economic efficiency of fertiliser use. This can create economic incentives for reducing fertiliser use.

To date, the perceived extent of the freedom of action of farmers has rarely been used to evaluate the social sustainability of farms. Now, however, a new indicator has been developed that illustrates the scope for action of family farms in terms of consumption and production.

Agroscope analysed the economic situation of organic fattening-pig production in Switzerland. The study shows that six of the ten farms examined – particularly the larger ones – can produce profitably.

Milk production is the most important production branch of Swiss agriculture. The liberalised cheese trade with the EU requires competitive dairy farms. Despite this, Swiss farms produce milk in a less economically viable way than comparable EU farms.

Product and quality differentiation in Swiss cheese markets enables higher and more stable raw milk prices. Protected Geographical Indications (GIs) such as the Swiss AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée), could further enhance milk prices, although their effectiveness depends on the strength of the GI label.

Does pesticide reduction reduce profitability and increase working time? Quite the reverse – Agroscope researchers showed that going pesticide-free can be an attractive proposition.

The heterogeneity of summer farms in the Swiss Alps must be take into account in order to develop effective policy measures. This should lead to improved conservation of the ecological and economic functions of alpine meadows.

An online survey shows that the Swiss population views all agricultural policy goals as important. Although animal welfare and farmers' incomes are the top priorities everywhere, the language regions show differences in their assessment of the goals.

The family farm is the backbone of the Swiss agricultural sector. A recent study by Agroscope investigates the extent to which digitalisation has shifted the balance in the institutional structure of farming.

Owing to its low degree of self-sufficiency, Switzerland is highly dependent on food imports. Because of this, it is important to assess its vulnerability in terms of supply security of these key imported goods.

Beef can be produced in various ways. Intensive fattening is more productive and extensive organic pasture fattening achieves higher prices – but which is more profitable? Agroscope compared the two production systems to learn the answer.

Agrivoltaics combines energy generation and agricultural production on the same land. Although this system is eliciting increasing interest, its success depends on numerous factors and the most compatible crops have yet to be identified.

How do farmers experience social sustainability on their farms? As an Agroscope study shows, this depends on farmers’ identities and farm types.

Cheese stands out as one of the main Swiss agricultural trade offensive interests. Outside the EU, the USA are an important export destination. The CAPRI model allows to assess the impact of a free trade agreement for cheese between the USA and CH.

Policies for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are both more effective and more efficient when set at regional rather than individual-farm level. This approach can help us achieve climate targets in a more cost-efficient manner.

Global food availability is expected to remain stable in the medium term. Food security challenges in Switzerland include the decline in agricultural land area per capita, higher incidence of extreme weather events and increased pressure from pests.

Different cultural backgrounds lead to different uptake of biodiversity agri-environmental schemes at the inner-Swiss French-German language border. Economic policy incentives could mitigate culture-driven behavioral differences.

The agricultural sector as an aggregate proved resilient to the COVID-19 shock. But how did it impact agribusiness firms within the sector? Using the Swiss case, we provide the first set of evidence on how agri-food importing firms survived the pandemic economically.

Agricultural economics research uses a multitude of methods and approaches to assess existing and new policy measures. This is the basis for agricultural policy that demonstrably makes a difference, i.e. is evidence-based.

Agroscope studied the changes in the agricultural sector over the past twenty years in three Swiss regions and compared them with the visions of three associations: Avenir Suisse, the Schweizer Bauernverband and Landwirtschaft mit Zukunft.