Improving Sustainability of Agricultural and Food Systems Research Program
The Improving Sustainability of Agricultural and Food Systems across Key Environmental Metrics Research Program focuses on improving sustainability of agricultural and food systems across key environmental metrics. The goal is to understand the benefits and tradeoffs of various measures in agricultural systems and production practices while maintaining the production potential and strengthening overall resilience of the agricultural system towards climate.
Funded Projects
Environmental, economic, and social metrics and trade-offs for regenerative agriculture
Increasing sustainability and nitrogen use efficiency by improving peas for crop rotation
Assessing the effect on water resources and greenhouse gas emissions of fallow vs cover crop in an intensive crop rotation system under the Mediterranean climate
News
2025: A new publication addresses how farming practices impact water resources in the water-scarce and highly productive area of Campo de Cartagena in southeast Spain. external page Read paper
2025: A new project aims to support the development of a roadmap for regenerative agriculture, positioning practices not only by their benefits but also by their feasibility. News item
2025: Exploring an alternative approach to improving nitrogen use efficiency at the farm level by focusing on identifying efficient pea varieties with superior photosynthetic performance. News item
2025: Focus on the ongoing project investigating water and nitrogen balances in the fruit orchard of Europe. News item
2024: The Center announces two new projects starting in 2024 focused on understanding how different crop rotation practices affect water and nitrogen balances as well as production. News item
2022: World Food System Center of ETH Zurich and Bayer start partnership aimed at improving sustainability of agricultural and food systems. News Item
2022: ETH Foundation Spotlight: Bayer supports sustainability of agricultural and food systems. external page News item
Bayer supports this Research Program of the World Food System Center with a total donation of 1.1 million Swiss francs to the ETH Foundation.
Recent calls for the program closed in June 2025. Download Call for Proposals 2025 Information (PDF, 168 KB)
Direct funding is restricted to ETH Zurich World Food System Center members.
World Food System Center Research Programs
The Center's Research Programs support new cross-disciplinary and solution oriented research to address food system challenges. The Center administers these competitive programs in coordination with the Research Commission of the ETH Zurich.