About Us
Our work spans research, teaching, and collaboration and outreach, with the shared goal of resilient, fair, and sustainable global food systems.
Research
Our vision is a global food system that feeds everyone, protects people and the environment, and adapts to change. We study the people, businesses, and institutions shaping global food systems — from farmers and workers to traders and restaurants — to understand how resources and knowledge move and how these systems can become more resilient, fair, and sustainable. Working across Africa, Europe, and Asia, we generate evidence on how technology, public and private standards, participation and collective action can contribute to this transition. We work with stakeholders, including policymakers, NGOs, and businesses, to turn research into practical solutions for more sustainable and equitable food systems. To learn more, explore our research and current projects.
Teaching
We educate future leaders in agricultural, food, and environmental occupations. Our teaching equips students with the knowledge and skills to understand, research, and address social and environmental sustainability challenges in global food systems, such as food insecurity, poverty, labor exploitation, gender disparities, climate change, and food loss and waste. Students explore how policy, technology, and the private sector shape these challenges, develop critical data and evidence literacy, and learn to assess trade-offs and global dependencies. Learn more about our educational activities.
Network and outreach
We actively engage in and contribute to academic, policy, and public debates related to our research themes. Collaboration, diversity, and openness are central to our approach —within ETH Zurich and with partners across academia, policy institutions, civil society, and practice worldwide. Our outreach activities are designed to help translate research into meaningful change, including through engagementwith media, policymakers, and international organizations.
Institutionally, the Food Systems Economics and Policy Group is part of the Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), affiliated with the Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED), and associated with the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS). We are also a member of the World Food System Center (WFSC) and ETH4D, reinforcing our commitment to interdisciplinary research and global engagement.