ETH News

While the significance of healthy soils for all life on earth, including human life, is becoming more apparent, we remain minimally committed to their conservation. It is time to use our advances in soil knowledge to manage our soils more sustainably.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is mostly known for its social, economic, and political instability. Does it make sense then for me to focus my research on sustainable agriculture and the role of the Congo River Basin in the global carbon cycle?

In the last 5 years, the term ¡°biochar¡± has been popping up a lot in the scientific literature and popular press; it is often presented as the ¡°silver bullet¡± that will solve all problems in agricultural production. But what is it exactly? Are the claimed benefits real? Have the promises come through?

The buzzword ¡°Resilience¡± is used a lot these days, in all kinds of contexts, and in appropriate and less appropriate ways. But what does the word really mean? How is it linked to sustainable food systems? How do we instill it in food systems?

Since arriving at ETH Zurich in January this year, I have been happily confronted with the thriving chocolate culture of Switzerland. As a Belgian, with roots in a chocolate culture, I quickly picked up on the ¡®chocaholic¡¯ tendencies of my new colleagues, friends and acquaintances.