Innovation on our plates

Sustainable food systems are a burning issue of our time. Food that is produced in a way that conserves resources and is socially responsible helps to ensure that all people in the world are well nourished. We show you promising innovations that influence what we eat.

What and how we eat depends on our habits and our culture.  But what’s the same everywhere is that a meal brings us around a table and promotes togetherness.

But the global challenge of providing enough nutritious food for more than 8 billion people within our planet’s boundaries is growing. Around the world, ten times more people struggle to survive in famine-like conditions than just five years ago.

New solutions are needed to transform and build sustainable food systems that ensure food security, environmental sustainability and social well-being for all people across the globe.

Researchers at ETH Zurich are working to bring innovations to our plates that support such change:

 

Smart farming enables the precise use of pesticides and fertilisers to produce more with less.

  • See how Caterra uses its precision laser in the field.

 

Vertical farming produces local food with fewer resources, right where people live.

  • Smell the fresh herbs grown by Yasai in the middle of Zurich.

 

Healthy soil provides essential nutrients and biodiversity, which is especially important as the climate changes.

  • Take a look at the diverse world beneath the fields with DigitSoil.

 

Local value chains allow for less transportation and support local markets.

  • Try the hummus from Fabas, with all ingredients from Switzerland.

 

New food sources, such as microalgae and insects, provide nutritious protein with fewer resources.

  • Check out the colours of the microalgae from the Sustainable Food Processing Group that may soon be part of our meals.

Come by and experience innovation on our plates!