Anders Gautschi will take up the post of new Biovision CEO on 1 January 2025. In this short interview, he answers questions about his motivation and goals.

On 1 January 2025, Anders Gautschi will take over as the new CEO of Biovision. Mr Gautschi previously served as the Director of the Swiss Association for Transport and Environment (VCS).

Parliament’s planned budget cuts to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) raise major questions for NGOs such as Biovision. Loredana Sorg, Co-Head of International Partnerships at Biovision, talks about the impact on long-term projects, the importance of stable funding and how international cooperation plays a central role in global development processes, even and especially in times of criticism.

Sustainable production alone is not enough! Harvests must be processed, sold and farmers need to be paid fairly. The recent Biovision event put the spotlight on initiatives that close gaps in the value chain and actively shape the future of food.

This fall there will be a change in the Biovision Foundation Board: Barbara Frei Haller is stepping down from the Board after more than two decades of dedicated commitment and passionate engagement. Joining the Board is Andreas Schriber, founding member and CEO of the Foundation from 2003 to 2020. Let’s take a look back at Barbara’s noteworthy time at Biovision and a look ahead to the future with Andreas.

Biovision is promoting sustainable businesses in Uganda through the Neycha project. But what significance and potential does the local government see in agroecology? Bob Sunday from the Ministry of Agriculture provides information.

Our goal: a food system fit for the future – enough healthy food for everyone, produced and consumed in environmentally and socially responsible ways. We have charted a path for achieving it in our 2024–2028 strategy, which is based on the conviction that development can only take place if several key levers are worked simultaneously, supplemented by cooperation with stakeholders who have similar goals.

Tanzania reached a milestone in December when it launched its national strategy to scale up agroecology. Mwatima Juma from our partner organisation TOAM explains why this is so important for smallholder families and what role Biovision played in the development process.

With great perseverance, unconventional ideas and openness, projects can change lives for the better. This is shown in a study of our seven-year commitment to livestock breeders in Tanzania.

The Swiss food system drives and suffers from various crises and problems, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequalities. That is why Biovision promotes agroecology – for a more sustainable food future.

In Western Kenya, Biovision is researching how farming communities can be supported with a customised approach, combining typical elements of our work: targeted implementation of sustainable practices in the field paired with a scientific approach.

In mid-May, Biovision together with international partners organized an event in Kenya about integrating agroecological approaches into national biodiversity strategies. The initiative assembled key stakeholders and decision-makers from various countries. The goal: sustainable, agroecological agriculture that protects and actively promotes biodiversity.

In agreements made through the United Nations, countries around the world have committed themselves to curbing the drastic loss of biodiversity on our planet. Agroecology could play a key role and combine sustainable agriculture with biodiversity protection. An interview with Dr John Garcia Ulloa from Biovision about major challenges and huge opportunities.

Biofach in Nuremberg is the world’s largest trade fair for organic products and sustainable agriculture. It offers producers, traders and anyone interested a platform for exchanging ideas and networking. Recently, Biovision employees were also among the participants.

Since 23 February 2024, the Executive Committee of Biovision has been collectively responsible for the management of the company. The previous Executive Director, Dr Frank Eyhorn, is leaving Biovision by mutual agreement.

Prof. Christoph Studer has been a Biovision Board of Trustees member since the end of 2023. In this interview, the tropical agriculture expert discusses his background, what at Biovision has inspired him for decades, and where the greatest challenges for development cooperation will lie in the coming years.

Around 600 guests and about 200 online viewers attended the annual Biovision Symposium at the Volkshaus in Zurich. There, we looked back together on the successful year 2023, the 25th anniversary of our foundation and the greatest challenges and opportunities for a sustainable future.

To ensure the long-term food security of people in the Kenyan district of Murang’a, agroecology has been enshrined in law. Biovision supported both the local authorities and the population in the process.

Biovision promotes agroecology to leverage a sustainable food system. Entrepreneurs, project leaders and people responsible for initiatives often do not know how much their projects or business model correspond to the 13 principles of agroecology, though. To make their assessments easier (and anchor agroecology more firmly as a result), Biovision has developed the Business Agroecology Criteria Tool, or B-ACT for short.

Today we celebrate 25 years of Biovision. Our journey has led us to countless encounters, brought numerous challenges, but also great successes. Join us on a journey through time, from our past to our future.