38 - Integrated sustainability impact assessments and agroecological concepts – integration and application of concepts, tools and trade-off analysis

Programme manager:

Programme director:

Objective

To perform integrated sustainability impact assessments in all three dimensions at farm, product and sector level. To develop sustainable and innovative production systems using sustainability impact assessments and agroecological assessments.

• Specific objectives

  • Support the development of innovative and sustainable production methods, technologies and strategies.
  • Identify opportunities and limitations to improve the sustainability (e.g. resource efficiency, environmental and social impacts) of a product or production method using technical and organisational measures.
  • Develop and apply systematic approaches to sustainability impact assessments that enable interactions between farm sectors to be taken into account.
  • Analyse trade-offs and synergies between the three dimensions of sustainability for new and existing production methods throughout the entire value chain.
  • Make recommendations for practice, agricultural extension, society and policy to improve sustainability in all three dimensions.
  • Apply and adapt sustainable agroecological assessment methods to current issues affecting the agrifood sector.
  • Initiate agroecological transformation in agricultural production systems and set the results in an international context
  • Gather contextually differentiated data (e.g. farm type, secondary income, economic conditions, working conditions) on the work situation, wellbeing, and physical and psychological strain of people working on farms and derive recommendations for prevention.

Expected outcomes

Food production in Switzerland is demonstrably (i.e. supported by sustainability impact assessments) economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

Projects

Read more