Addressing Environmental and Human Health Risk Research Program
This Research Program funds an annual call for proposals of interdisciplinary research projects in the field of agriculture and food systems. The aim is to develop new, applicable knowledge that demonstrates how specific key challenges and risks in the food system can be addressed.
The Addressing Environmental and Human Health Risk Research Program focuses on how specific key challenges and risks in the food system can be addressed. Encouraged are projects that show how research at the interface between fundamental and applied research contributes to different environmental as well as health issues.
The call for proposals 2026 now open until 08 March 2026.
For call information and templates, please contact Jeanne Tomaszewski, .
Research topics
- Reducing environmental and human health risks of agricultural and food systems while improving social and economic sustainability
- Improving the competitiveness of sustainable agricultural and food systems
- Innovative approaches to facilitate agriculture and food system transformation
- Strengthening the resilience of agricultural food systems to climate change and other challenges
Direct funding is restricted to ETH Zurich World Food System Center members.
Funded Projects
Towards pesticide-free agricultural production systems
Principal Investigator: Prof. Robert Finger, D-USYS, ETH Zurich
Project Webpage: https://aecp.ethz.ch/research/pestifreeagsys.html
Publications:
Ziehmann, E., Huber, R., Finger, R. 2025. external page Remote-Sensing for Herbicide-Free Agriculture: A Bio-Economic and Policy Appraisal. Journal of Agricultural Economics.
Ziehmann, E., Huber, R., Finger, R. 2025. external page Fernerkundungstechnologien können herbizidfreie Produktionssysteme ökonomisch attraktiver machen und deren Umweltfussabdruck senken. Agrarpolitik-Blog.
Ziehmann, E., Möhring, N., Finger, R. 2024. external page Economics of herbicide-free crop production. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy.
Ziehmann, E., Möhring, N., Finger, R. 2024. external page Ökonomische Implikationen herbizidfreier Weizenproduktion. Agrarpolitik-Blog.
Addressing impacts of the gut microbiome on health risks from food systems factors: Food-Gut Safety
Principal Investigator: Prof. Shana Sturla, D-HEST, ETH Zurich
Project Webpage: https://toxicology.ethz.ch/research/biotransformation-of-xenobiotics-by-the-human-gut-microbiota/metabolism-food-related-compounds.html
Poly-fluorinated (PFAS) chemical contaminants in the food system: Environmental and human health risks mediated by microbial metabolism of agrochemicals and food packaging residues
Principle Investigator: Prof. Nicholas Bokulich, D-HEST, ETH Zurich
Project Webpage: https://toxicology.ethz.ch/research/biotransformation-of-xenobiotics-by-the-human-gut-microbiota/FluxiGut.html
Microalgae: A resilient and dense source of micronutrients
Principal Investigator: Prof. Alexander Mathys, D-HEST, ETH Zurich
Safe and sustainable circular food value chains for healthy people and planet
Principle Investigator: Prof. Catharina Bening, D-MTEC, ETH Zurich
Solid-state fermentation of lupin-based foams to enhance the digestibility
and applicability of lupins
Principle Investigator: Prof. Patrick Rühs, D-HEST, ETH Zurich
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.