Press Releases 2021
Agroscope
Thomas Gentil to Be New Deputy Head of Agroscope
New Agroscope Executive Board member: From 1 March 2022, Thomas Gentil will be the Deputy Head of Agroscope and Head of the Resources Unit. Most recently he was responsible for corporate development at the Swiss Federal Office of Police (fedpol).
Manuel Boss Takes Over Reins of ‘Plants and Plant Products’ Competence Division
Manuel Boss takes over the reins of the ‘Plants and Plant Products’ Competence Division at Agroscope on 1 June 2021. He brings with him his extensive network and his experience in science and agricultural policy. Up till now, Manuel Boss has worked in Brussels as an Embassy Counsellor for Agriculture. Prior to this, he was employed at the Federal Office for Agriculture and Syngenta.
Biodiversity on Swiss Farmland Recorded Nationwide for the First Time
Many plant and animal species depend on habitats shaped by agriculture. Where and with what frequency do which species occur in the agricultural landscape? What is the state of their habitats? How effective are the measures taken to increase biodiversity? Agroscope’s biodiversity monitoring programme ‘ALL-EMA’ records species and habitat diversity in the Swiss agricultural landscape. This is the basis for understanding the state of habitats on which agricultural production strongly depends. The findings show that at lower elevations (plain and hill zones), species and habitat diversity are markedly lower than at higher elevations (mountain zones).
Targeted Imports and Less Food Waste Reduce ‘Foodprint’
How can the environmental impact of our food be reduced? Agroscope calculated that the environmental impact can be improved if food is imported from countries of origin with especially environmentally friendly agricultural production systems. The avoidance of food loss and waste is even more effective in achieving this aim.
Dairy Products and Holidaymakers – a Good Combination
Swiss milk producers can boost their income and productivity with agrotourism. By contrast, the productivity of direct marketers is considerably lower. These were the findings of a research project conducted by Agroscope and an external partner.
More Root Carbon in Extensive Cultivation Systems – the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Is Optimised
Soils possess great potential for sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere in the form of carbon, and thus for mitigating global warming. Agroscope researchers have now shown that in extensive cultivation systems, significantly more carbon enters the soil via plant roots than previously assumed. Based on these findings, the estimated values for the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory were adjusted.