Research

Our research focuses on how policy, institutions, and technology can address pressing social challenges in global food systems. Our work contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly decent work (SDG 8), gender equality (SDG 5), no poverty (SDG 1), food security (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), and responsible production andconsumption (SDG 12).

Our research does not focus only on farmers, but also on food system actors who often receive less attention, especially workers, cooperatives, traders, restaurants, and agrifood-tech startups.

Our central research question is how social sustainability can be improved, and how trade-offs between social and environmental sustainability can be addressed. To this end, we study the role of public policies (such as minimum wages), private standards (including Fairtrade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance), collective action (for example through farmer cooperatives or worker unions), and technology (such as greenhouses, crop breeding, biopesticides, and AI).

 We employ both quantitative and qualitative methods and use primary and secondary data. Our primary data collection includes surveys, experiments, focus group discussions, expert interviews, and photovoice projects. 

Our research topics are inherently global and relevant to both higher-income and lower-income countries. Currently, we work across Africa, Europe, and Asia to capture diverse contexts while also generating broadly applicable insights. Our current focus countries include Uganda, Malawi, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Vietnam, and Switzerland. Here you can find an overview of our current projects here.

Overall, our work is closely aligned with the international developmentagenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and it is highly relevant for agricultural, labor, migration, and social policy worldwide.

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"Research" https://fsep.ethz.ch/research/research-projects.html