Creating positive change

Over the course of two weeks in August 2021, the World Food System Center offered the participants an intense and immersive summer school program, focused on “Food Systems in Transition.” Participants explored food system challenges and solutions first-hand, and learned to better understand their own role in driving a sustainable transformation.

The program included a range of interactive classroom sessions, field trips, case studies, group work and getting hands in the soil on the surrounding biodynamic farm. Beginning with an overview of food system challenges and some inspiring solution approaches, the following sessions covered the value chain from agricultural production to nutrition and health, social well-being and environmental sustainability. The teaching was delivered by lecturers from ETH Zurich, University College London, University of Basel, University of Bergen and by practitioners from organizations such as Sight and Life, Migros, Bühler, Essen für Alle, Sativa, farmers, City of Zurich, the Zurich Food Policy Council and numerous start-ups and small food producers.

The summer school was hosted at Gut Rheinau, Switzerland’s largest organic and biodynamic farm. This provided an opportunity to directly experience food production and the challenges of sustainable agriculture in the field. In addition, a number of off-farm excursions were organized, including a visit to Migros to understand the role of retailers in building sustainable food systems and to AgroVet-Strickhof facility and the ETH Research Station for Plant Sciences in Eschikon to delve into the latest research insights to tackle food system challenges.
 

The program was designed to help participants build their knowledge and skills not only in theory but also in practice. For the final days, they worked together with stakeholders in Switzerland who are designing and innovating for sustainable and equitable food value chains. The participants were guided through a combined design and systems thinking process to co-create solutions with the stakeholders. This process was motivating for participants, as they could see the results of their work potentially implemented on the ground after the program. It was also an inspiring opportunity for the stakeholders to engage with a diverse group to get support in tackling real challenges they were facing. Bringing these participants together highlighted the unique role of summer school settings like this one to build the interpersonal skills needed to create change in complex systems.

The participants from the summer school will now join a pool of over 200 alumni from around the world. This alumni network continues the work started in the summer school by offering a platform for individuals to collaborate, learn and exchange on food system challenges and solutions both locally and globally. external page https://wfscalumni.com

Some participant reflections:

“I feel empowered receiving so many different inputs, understanding better the key players involved in the food system, and experiencing firsthand the perspective of each stakeholder. This process helped to have a clearer focus on where I envision myself, working and living. It also helped to increase my professional and personal network in this new context I am operating.”

“This course stands out from other courses because it brings amazing people from different professional backgrounds and cultures together - with a great highly skilled, and motivated team - through the insightful journey of food systems in transition.”

“This was a learning experience like no other course I have done before. It leaves you with a lot of inspiration, motivation and most importantly a network of dedicated people with the same interest in food system transformation.”

Note: The summer school was conducted with stringent hygiene, testing and protection measures in place at all times.