19 March 2026 “Global agricultural trade needs to be rethought” The WTO Agreement on Agriculture should be completely redesigned: That’s the goal of a group of experts from five continents. In a project, they have developed a “Model Treaty on Agricultural Trade for Sustainable Food Systems”. We asked Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi, one of the project leaders, why they are making this push now – and what it entails. Read the interview
2 March 2026 Award for research that can’t be pigeonholed into a single discipline Do sustainability standards also account for the effects of land use that extend beyond their immediate sphere of action? CDE scientist Gabi Sonderegger explored this question and provides the first systematic analysis of the issue. For this, she received the Bernese Award for Environmental Research. Read more
20 January 2026 “Public authorities should openly acknowledge that they can’t ensure that pesticides are safe” In Europe certain hazardous substances obtain approval before later being withdrawn over safety concerns. The EU will restrict imports of products containing residues of pesticides banned within its borders. But it continues to export such substances. Irene Musselli sees clear human rights deficits in these areas. Read the interview
8 January 2026 An independent “green economy” pathway in Africa Africa imports many processed wood products – even though it exports huge quantities of wood. This leads to massive trade deficits. In a joint research project led by CDE and the African Forest Forum, a panel of experts met to explore ways of strengthening the intra-African timber trade while promoting legal, sustainable forest management. Read the story
