Resilience of the Swiss food system

The Swiss food system is increasingly challenged by various shocks, such as climate-related hazards, price changes, crop and livestock diseases. For example, in 2015, a summer drought decreased the yields of grapes and potatoes; in spring 2016, periods of heavy precipitation and untypically low temperatures killed grape seedlings, deteriorated potato quality, and caused losses in wheat production. Since extreme weather events are predicted to become more frequent in Switzerland, potential shocks will challenge the functioning of the Swiss food system, i.e. its ability to provide sufficient and safe supply of domestic agricultural commodities.

Objectives

In this project, we aim to assess the resilience of the Swiss milk, beef, wine, wheat, and potato value chains from the perspective of their different activities (input supply, production, processing, retailing, and consumption). These value chains are important for the Swiss food system as they account for 47.7% (2015) of the total value of agricultural production in Switzerland. With this, our objectives are:

To understand patterns of risks that can lead to shocks in the five value chains.
To assess the resilience of different activities of the five value chains against key shocks and learn about potential interconnections.
To develop action plans tailored to the activities of the five value chains to enhance resilience.

Research approach

To accomplish these objectives, we propose a transdisciplinary and problem-oriented approach that allows the active involvement of key stakeholders (actors and experts) throughout the research process. The methods include, literature review, stakeholder workshops, a survey among actors of the five value chains and policy analysis.

Expected Outcome

A clear understanding about the ability of the milk, beef, wine, wheat, and potato value chains to absorb, maintain, and recover from specific shocks.
Tailored action plans for enhancing the resilience of the five value chains.

Partner

This research project is funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture.