{"id":15232,"date":"2021-11-23T11:03:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T10:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/story\/symposium-2021-mehr-vielfahlt-mehr-nachhaltigkeit\/"},"modified":"2023-08-02T15:06:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T13:06:06","slug":"symposium2021","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/story\/symposium2021\/","title":{"rendered":"More diversity \u2013 more sustainability!"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\"Das
The Biovision Symposium 2021 on the topic of diversity in pictures: Dr Frank Eyhorn, Executive Director of Biovision ...<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Bio
Organic is not supposed to be productive? Researchers Felix Matheri and Nancy Mwende from the Biovision partner organisation icipe in Nairobi prove the opposite.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Nicht
Nicht zum ersten Mal Gast beim Symposium: Janet Maro, Bio-Pionierin aus Tansania und Co-Leiterin der Biovision-Partnerorganisation SAT, Preistr\u00e4gerin des One World Award 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Ja,
Ja, im Boden hat es Regenw\u00fcrmer. Aber noch abertausende weiterer Lebewesen \u2013 Anna Sch\u00f6pfer, verantwortlich f\u00fcr Nachhaltigen Konsum Schweiz und Sounding Soil bei Biovision, kl\u00e4rt auf.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Mehr
Mehr Vielfalt und Nachhaltigkeit im Schweizer Ern\u00e4hrungssystem? Ja! Aber wie? Das Podium mit (v.l.n.r.) Landwirt Andreas Nussbaumer, Yvonne L\u00f6tscher von der Stadt Z\u00fcrich, Moderator Frank Eyhorn von Biovision, Bernhard Kammer von der Migros und Buchautorin Stephanie Hess<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Warum
Warum technisch \u2013 fast \u2013 alles rund lief? Fragen Sie Alexander Kressig, IT-Verantwortlicher bei Biovision!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Bahnhof?
Bahnhof? Nicht mit unseren Simultandolmetscherinnen Yve Delaquis ...<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Helena
... und Helena Nyberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Run
Run auf die Agrar\u00f6kologie: Daniel Langmeier (Mitte), Politikberater bei Biovision und Kollegen erkl\u00e4ren das Konzept nachhaltiger Ern\u00e4hrungssysteme.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Was
Was krabbelt und quietscht denn da? Marilena Schumann von Sounding Soil l\u00e4sst mit Aufnahmen Besucherinnen in den Boden lauschen.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Ein
Ein Globi-Buch oder doch ein Hibiskustee? Biovision-Kommunikations-Mitarbeiterin Margarete Sotier (links) beriet kompetent am Verkaufsstand und war nebenbei auch f\u00fcr die kommunikative Begleitung des Anlasses verantwortlich.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Halb
Halb voll oder halb leer? Philosophische Betrachtungen \u00fcber ein Glas resp. den Prozess hin zu nachhaltigen und vielf\u00e4ltigen Ern\u00e4hrungssystemen mit Biovision-Gr\u00fcnder Hans R. Herren und Biovision-Gesch\u00e4ftsleiter Frank Eyhorn ...<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"\u2026,
\u2026, die mit vollen Gl\u00e4sern enden und dennoch der Erkenntnis: Es gibt noch viel zu tun. Prost!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>
\"Alles
Alles Bio oder was? CLEVER-Praktikantin Lydia Gargiulo erkl\u00e4rt, worauf es beim nachhaltigen Einkauf ankommt.\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div> <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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From the loudspeaker comes a squeak, a scratch, a hum, a smack. The odd sounds that interrupt Biovision CEO Frank Eyhorn\u2019s presentation are not technical glitches. On the contrary, they demonstrate that diversity is not only seen in the landscape or tasted from your plate; you can also hear it in the soil.<\/p><\/div>

Healthy soil has a sound<\/h2>

Anna Sch\u00f6pfer, who is responsible for building awareness in Switzerland, presents Biovision\u2019s\u00a0Sounding Soil\u00a0<\/a>project that makes soil audible and thus tangible. Scientists are currently discovering how subterranean sounds can indicate soil health. After all, diverse sounds attest to diverse life underground, which means that soil can fulfil its functions that are essential for our survival: it provides the basis for nutrient-rich food, binding CO2<\/sub>, preventing erosion and much more.<\/p>

Diversity in cultivation also reduces a Kenyan smallholder farmer\u2019s dependence on a single maize or cabbage harvest, for example. Production based on different varieties creates better income and food security\u00a0\u2013 especially important nowadays, as climate change has made the weather more unpredictable.<\/p>

Diversity forces pests to flee<\/h2>

Furthermore, diversity can greatly reduce the use of\u00a0synthetic chemical pesticides<\/a>\u00a0Pests generally have a harder time in fields with mixed crops than in monocultures. But if species are combined in a targeted way, as in the cleverly devised\u00a0push-pull system\u00a0<\/a>for maize and millet cultivation\u00a0(as Biovision programme officer\u00a0Fabian Kohler<\/a>\u00a0impressively demonstrates), pests can be deterred while weeds are also kept at bay. Practical experience has shown that this can double or even triple crop yields\u00a0\u2013 without the use of chemical pesticides.<\/p>

\u201cWhen I give tours of our farm, I always say, \u2018Shop the way you vote!\u2019 If people did, 40 to 50 per cent of our produce would soon be organic.\u201d<\/em><\/h2>

Andreas Nussbauer, farmer at the\u00a0Burgrain\u00a0<\/a>organic farm in Willisau, Lucerne<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>

After all, we all depend on diversity on our plates to feed ourselves healthily. For the concluding panel discussion, Frank Eyhorn welcomed four guests who know what diversity in our food system entails. The agroecology expert stated right at the beginning: \u201cIt\u2019s not just about promoting diversity as such. It has to be sustainable, affordable for consumers and fair for producers.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Biovision Symposium 2021 – Part 1<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Goal: sustainability as the norm<\/h2>

Bernhard Kammer, Head of Ecology & Sustainability Label at Migros, points out that although most customers are not well informed, \u201cWe nevertheless have to offer them \u2013 not just the conscious shoppers \u2013 a range that is sustainable, too.\u201d\u00a0Stephanie Hess<\/a>, author of the\u00a0Beobachter<\/em>\u00a0guidebook\u00a0\u00d6KOlogisch!<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>says she has observed that everyone actually wants to buy sustainably, but \u201cmany are frustrated and confused by so many labels, some of which are also used for greenwashing and pretending to be more sustainable than they actually are.\u201d Additionally, sustainable nutrition is still an expensive and \u201celitist affair\u201d. The goal must be \u201cthat I, a consumer, can go to the store and be sure that what I am buying is sustainable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cWe all have to critically question our lifestyle and learn to do without, especially in our leisure time\u00a0\u2013 the keyword is air travel. And we need to fill our shopping baskets sustainably; the products are available. We should eat less meat and avoid food waste.\u201d<\/em><\/h2>

Bernhard Kammer, Head of Ecology and Sustainability Label at Migros<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Biovision Symposium 2021 – Part 2<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I am agriculture<\/h2>

Andreas Nussbaumer, organic farmer from Willisau, Lucerne, relies on consumers. He regularly gives guided tours of his farm, where he explains his work. He is convinced that sensitization works: \u201cThe visitors have many \u2018aha\u2019 moments.\u201d A new agricultural museum on the farm now explores the question, \u2018Who is agriculture?\u2019 Visitors are led to the answer: everyone. After all, consumers play a decisive role in determining how and what food is produced.<\/p>

\u201cBe generous with yourself! Don\u2019t despair if you booked another flight or bought the half-price chicken at the store. Admit to yourself that you fail once in a while and just keep going, trying the best you can.<\/em>\u201c<\/h2>

Stephanie Hess, journalist and author of the\u00a0Beobachter<\/em>\u00a0guidebook\u00a0<\/strong>\u00d6KOlogisch<\/em><\/strong><\/a>!<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>

Stephanie Hess also does not deny that consumers carry responsibility. But in politics she sees \u201cmuch greater leverage\u201d for change: \u201cParticularly with regard to climate change, even if every consumer does everything right it will not be enough.\u201d Bernhard Kammer of Migros affirms that \u201csystems that offer added value, such as Bio Suisse or Demeter\u201d should also receive more financial support, such as by benefitting more from direct funding.<\/p>

No subsidies for products that are harmful for health and the environment<\/h2>

Biovision President Hans R. Herren, who was interviewed by Frank Eyhorn on the topic at the end of the event, took a similar stance to the Migros sustainability manager. The World Food Prize winner calls for halting subsidies for products that fuel climate change and foods that are unhealthy because they contain pesticide residues or come from nutrient-poor soils and therefore contain hardly any nutrients.<\/p>

The Biovision founder received spontaneous applause when he called for costs to be internalized\u00a0\u2013 in other words, for product prices to reflect true costs, including the damage they cause. He calls wealthy Switzerland\u2019s arguments against the pesticide initiatives that \u201cwe will have too little to eat\u201d and \u201cfood will become more expensive\u201d as \u201cscandalous\u201d.<\/p>

\u201cThe issues of food choices and food waste deserve much more attention. Ask yourself: can I increase the amount of plant-based products in my diet? Could I try a vegan dish twice a week? And always keep an eye out that nothing in the fridge goes bad.\u201d<\/em><\/h2>

Yvonne L\u00f6tscher, Head of Sustainable Nutrition, City of Zurich<\/strong><\/h4><\/blockquote>

Yvonne L\u00f6tscher, Head of Sustainable Food at the City of Zurich, showed that agricultural diversity is also possible in the city. According to her, a surprising 10 per cent of Zurich\u2019s urban area is agriculturally utilizable, and it accommodates 20 farms. Another 5,000 allotment gardens and community gardens are in the city, plus several solidarity farming operations and\u00a0that follow cocepts of agroecology.\u00a0<\/a>The encouraging thing, says L\u00f6tscher, is that \u201cthe number of projects is increasing, and they are becoming more and more diverse.\u201d<\/p>

At the end of the panel discussion, farmer Andreas Nussbaumer spoke up again. As a producer, it is important for him to defend himself against the argument that sustainable food is too expensive: \u201cIn Switzerland today, we spend only 6% of our income on food\u00a0\u2013 a few years ago it was 20, 30 per cent. Food is not too expensive, it\u2019s too cheap!\u201d Again, exuberant applause. Stephanie Hess added that we have become accustomed to a meat-based diet that not everyone could afford if they switched to organic. Hence her conclusion: \u201cFor a more diverse and sustainable diet, we will have to change our lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Biovision Symposium 2021 was all about diversity. Diversity has many positive effects: from protection against the effects of climate change to pesticide reduction and healthier food.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15147,"template":"","exclude-from-search":[],"newsletter":[],"region":[228,227],"projektthema":[174],"themen":[248,253],"class_list":["post-15232","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","region-sub-saharan-africa","region-switzerland","projektthema-symposium","themen-agriculture-en","themen-knowledge"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-10-18 20:48:37","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"newsletter","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/15232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/story"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/15232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39319,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story\/15232\/revisions\/39319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"exclude-from-search","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/exclude-from-search?post=15232"},{"taxonomy":"newsletter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter?post=15232"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=15232"},{"taxonomy":"projektthema","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projektthema?post=15232"},{"taxonomy":"themen","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biovision.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/themen?post=15232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}