Development of the “Grosses Moos” region

Current food production systems have significant negative environmental impacts. While many individual initiatives and concepts exist, a comprehensive, cross-actor and cross-value-chain vision for sustainable, resilient food systems in Switzerland is lacking. Knowledge about the state of the soil, which is key for sustainable production, is largely missing. Environmentally and socially compatible food systems require both sustainable food production (agriculture) and sustainable consumption. The value chain from food production to consumption includes processing, trade and retailing. Here, too, there is a need for a systemic approach with concrete incubators in the Canton of Bern.

Our goal

1

To identify and initiate the first innovative solutions toward achieving sustainable food systems

Co-design of solutions and stewardship

2

An innovative, time-saving method for mapping soil properties was developed and used for the creation of soil maps of parts of the Canton of Bern.
The first version of a GIS-supported platform to manage plot-specific location and cultivation data for inter-farm or regional production planning has been developed and tested.
A water forecasting and saving program was installed and tested.
A comparison of cultivation systems was carried out, juxtaposing a method involving intensive tillage with a soil-conserving system based on minimal tillage.

Projects underway

3

Sustainable use of water and soil in the Three Lakes Region (Bernese Seeland)
Moving toward sustainable vegetable production in the Bernese Seeland

Capturing and valorizing the services of the soil
Soil mapping of the Canton of Bern

Solutionscape “Development of Grosses Moos”
The Wyss Academy and the Canton of Bern are jointly setting up a holistic participatory approach to address the multifold challenges in Grosses Moos, an intensively farmed area and former biodiversity hotspot in the Canton of Bern.