The Innovation Forum on Sustainable Food Systems took place on November 27, 2025, at the Swiss Future Farm in Tänikon, Canton of Thurgau, Switzerland. The event was organized for the first time by the ISF Institute for Intelligent Systems and Smart Farming at OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with Agroscope and Swiss Future Farm.
The forum brought together experts from agriculture, research, and industry, as well as representatives from public administration, services, and politics, to examine how digitalization, automation, and data driven technologies can support a more sustainable food system.
Field Robotics and Autonomous Weed Control Reduce Chemical Dependency
A key theme of the forum was the use of autonomous field technologies to reduce or replace chemical plant protection. Several systems already in testing or operational use were presented.
Daniel Vetterli of Vetterlifarm shared practical experience with the FarmDroid robot in organic sugar beet production. In use since 2020, the GPS guided system mechanically weeds between crop rows and plants, reducing manual labor requirements by up to 50 percent.
Labor shortages and high costs associated with hand weeding remain a challenge in organic farming. Addressing this issue, Radek Zenkl, CTO of ETH spin off Caterra, presented a battery powered autonomous robot that removes weeds using laser pulses. The system navigates via GPS and uses deep learning to distinguish crops, weeds, and soil surfaces in real time.
Open Field Automation Uses Drones and AI for Targeted Weed Removal
Prof. Dr. Katrin Lohan, head of the EMS Institute for Mechatronic Systems at OST, presented the OFA Open Field Automation concept. The modular robot identifies weeds such as dock plants using drone based field scans combined with AI image recognition. Weed removal is carried out using hot water or electrical impulses, depending on the application.
Speakers agreed that future weed control strategies will likely rely on a combination of technologies, including laser, thermal, electrical, and mechanical methods, significantly reducing the need for herbicides.
Vertical Farming Systems and Autonomous Mowing Solutions
In addition to field robotics, the forum showcased a range of technologies for diversified agricultural production. Frugal Tec, a startup based in Diepoldsau, presented compact vertical farming systems designed for controlled environment crop production.
The AMEA autonomous mowing robot, developed in collaboration with OST, was also demonstrated. The system is designed for safe and efficient grass management on steep slopes and alpine terrain.
Mobile Inspection Robots and Digital Farm Monitoring
The ISF Institute demonstrated ANYmal, a quadruped robot equipped with sensors and cameras for autonomous navigation in complex environments. While still in experimental use, the platform is being tested for inspection, monitoring, and data collection tasks in agricultural and agri industrial settings.
Digital Platforms Address Food Waste in Switzerland
Food loss reduction was addressed through the presentation of Circunis, a digital marketplace for surplus food products. Managing Director Olivia Menzi explained that the platform currently lists nearly 90 tons of excess goods from processing and production facilities.
The goal is to reintroduce these products into the value chain, addressing Switzerland’s annual food losses of approximately 2.8 million tons.
Climate Neutral Agriculture and Carbon Sequestration Projects
Daniel Imhof, Head of Agricultural Affairs at Nestlé Switzerland, outlined the company’s approach to climate neutral agriculture. He emphasized the role of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils as a method to remove CO2 from the atmosphere while maintaining economic viability for farms.
As a practical example, Imhof referenced the AgroImpact project in the Canton of Vaud, operated jointly by Nestlé and WWF, which focuses on reducing farm emissions and increasing soil carbon storage. These initiatives support Nestlé’s target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
IP Suisse Climate Point System Shows Positive Farmer Engagement
Christophe Eggenschwiler, CEO of IP Suisse, presented results from the organization’s climate point system introduced in 2021. The system evaluates climate impacts using simplified inputs, avoiding additional administrative burden for farmers.
According to IP Suisse, the tool has been positively received, generating more than 700 voluntary climate action proposals from member farms.
Rising Global Food Demand Underscores Need for Smart Agriculture
The forum concluded with a presentation by Prof. Dr. Henrik Nordborg of OST, who addressed global food demand and sustainability challenges. Citing a 2019 study, he noted that global food demand is projected to increase by 50 percent by 2050, potentially requiring arable land equivalent to twice the area of India under current production models.
He emphasized that sustainable, technology supported agricultural systems will be essential to balance food security with environmental constraints.
