Centre for Development and Environment CDE, University of Bern

Berner Umwelt-Forschungspreis

2/2 Der Berner Umwelt-Forschungspreis 2025/26 geht ex aequo an Gabi Sonderegger, CDE, und an Jonas Schmid, @ipwunibern.bsky.social , für ihre jeweiligen Arbeiten. Die Preisverleihung mit Referaten ist öffentlich und findet am 18. März 2026 an der @unibe.ch statt.
Jetzt anmelden 👉 t.ly/F5-5B

Gabi Sonderegger diskutiert mit einer Mitarbeiterin

1/ 2 🌿Berücksichtigen Nachhaltigkeitsstandards auch die Auswirkungen der Landnutzung, die weit über ihren Aktionsradius hinausgehen? 🌐
Lesen Sie mehr über die erste systematische Analyse zum Thema & deren Autorin Gabi Sonderegger, die dafür den Berner Umweltforschungspreis erhalten hat 👉 t.ly/9gnau

Gabi Sonderegger in a meeting with another CDE team member

🌿Do sustainability standards also account for the effects of land use that extend beyond their immediate sphere of action? 🌐
Read more about the award-winning, first systematic analysis of the issue and its author Gabi Sonderegger 👉 t.ly/75xwH
#spillovers #telecoupling #sustainability

Lessons of Resilience from Data Mtaani: Workers Navigating Risk and Opportunity in Digital Spaces Author: Wanjiku Maina, Pollicy

Digital spaces shape how workers learn, earn, connect & stay safe.

From WhatsApp job networks to TikTok businesses, domestic workers navigate opportunity & risk with resilience and collective support. @cdeunibe.bsky.social

Read more: bit.ly/4aWULut

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁: 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 - 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹
Pyrolysis/biochar can help boost crop yields and tackle global warming. But it's potential is untapped. The aim of PyroScale is to generate know-how to successfully upscale pyrolysis/biochar projects in tropical regions 👉 t.ly/M2uAK
@fhnw.ch

Dorf Battir und seine Terrassen, UNESCO Weltkulturerbe

⚖️ 𝗢𝗵𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗸𝗲𝗶𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗸𝗲𝗶𝘁🌿
Die Bibel kennt den Begriff #Nachhaltigkeit nicht, aber zeigt: Nachhaltigkeit ist untrennbar mit #Gerechtigkeit verknüpft.
Und: Bei der Rede von Nachhaltigkeit geht es auch darum, Vergeltung, Ausbeutung und Machtmissbrauch einzuschränken. Blog👉 t.ly/JBQmd

village of Battir and its terraces. Battir holds UNESCO World Heritage status for its 4,000-year-old pre-Roman (Canaanite) irrigation system.

⚖️ 𝗡𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲🌿
The Bible doesn’t use the term #sustainability, but it deals with the underlying issues and shows that sustainability is inextricably linked to #justice.
It also refers to current issues such as #migration, #work and #productivity. Read the article👉 t.ly/WI_eX

Beine einer Frau und eines Mannes in Jeans, die Flecken von Malerarbeiten aufweisen

𝗪𝗶𝗲 𝗸𝗼̈𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝘂̈𝗿 𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻?
Wir müssen #Nachhaltigkeit vom abstrakten Ziel zu einer erfahrbaren Einladung verwandeln – und zu einem gemeinsamen Versprechen für die #Zukunft, so Björn Müller.
💡Ein Schlüssel dazu: soziale Innovation.
Mehr in unserm Blog 👉 t.ly/D_Qnr

Legs of a woman and man in jeans, which show stains from painting work

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄?
It’s essential to transform #sustainability from an abstract goal into a tangible invitation – and thus into a shared promise for the #future, says Björn Müller.
💡One key to this is social innovation.
Find out more in our Blog 👉 t.ly/N2B49

Forscherin interviewt Kleinfarmerin in deren Haus

Typische Landschaft für Kaffeeanbau in Cuzco, Peru

☕Trotz Bemühungen um Nachhaltigkeit gelingt es vielen Initiativen in den Wertschöpfungsketten von #Kaffee und #Kakao nicht, das Wohlergehen der Produzent*innen zu verbessern.
⚖️ Im Blogpost erklärt Javier Montoya, CDE, warum faire Teilhabe in diesen Wertschöpfungsketten so wichtig wäre 👉 t.ly/-Eiot

Smallholder interviewed by a researcher in her house

Typical coffee landscape in Cuzco, Peru

☕Despite decades of #sustainability efforts, many initiatives in the #coffee & #cocoa value chains don’t succeed in improving farmers’ well-being.
⚖️ In his blog post, Javier Montoya-Zumaeta explains why these value chains must be equitable, to become truly sustainable 👉 t.ly/aLnQX
#equity #research

Kinder an einem Kochkurs in einer Gemeinschaftsverpflegungsküche in Genf

Drohnenaufnahme von Familiengärten in Biel-Bienn

🌿 𝗪𝗶𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮̈𝗱𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗿𝗻𝗮̈𝗵𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘂𝗲𝗻 🏙️
Industrialisierte Ernährungssysteme bringen Ökosysteme an den Rand des Kollapses. Städte haben erkannt, dass sie da etwas bewegen können. Der Policy Brief beleuchtet Initiativen von 9 Schweizer Städten, die sich für nachhaltige Ernährung einsetzen👉 t.ly/KQYgL

Children at a cooking class in a communal catering kitchen

Community gardens in Biel-Bienne

𝗔𝗻 𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀? Industrialized #foodsystems are pushing ecosystems to the brink of collapse. Now, cities have begun to recognize their ability to leverage change. Our policy brief highlights the efforts from 9 Swiss cities working towards more sustainable food systems👉 t.ly/cXGzS

New paper by CDE scientists shows:🌳The EU Deforestation Regulation (#EUDR ) introduces strict due diligence and traceability requirements.
⚠️ But costs may fall unevenly on producers.
🔐 Data monetisation could help to offset compliance costs, but needs strong data protection.
More 👉 t.ly/LBoQV

3/3 🎯 The goal: trade rules that actively promote sustainable food systems — within planetary boundaries, with a focus on food security, fair livelihoods.
💡Today’s debate gathered concrete proposals; more consultations are coming, incl. at the WTO Ministerial in Cameroon. More: t.ly/yoGJr
@iisd.org

2/3 🌿The starting point: the Agreement on Agriculture Re-Imagined initiative. Numerous experts and scientists from 4 continents developed a draft model treaty on agricultural trade for sustainable food systems which served as the basis for today’s discussion.

1/3 🌍 Why does the world need a treaty on agricultural trade for sustainable food systems, which rethinks agricultural trade? And what should it look like? These❓were at the heart of today’s consultation at the @unibe.ch bringing together voices from government, academia, business and civil society.

Irene Musselli. Zitat: «Die Behörden sollten zugeben, dass sie die Sicherheit von Pestiziden nicht garantieren können»

🌐 Warum zeigen das Pestizid-Risikomanagement und die Doppelstandards beim Export von Pestiziden gravierende Menschenrechtsdefizite auf? Und was muss sich ändern?
Irene Musselli, Expertin für Handels- und Umweltrecht am CDE
(@unibe.ch), erklärt.
Interview 👉 t.ly/mZmVU
#Pestizide #HumanRights #WTO

Irene Musselli. Quote: “Public authorities should openly acknowledge that they can’t ensure that pesticides are safe”

🌐Why do the pesticide risk management and the double standards in pesticide exports reveal serious human rights deficits? And what needs to change?
Irene Musselli, expert in trade and environmental law at CDE (@Universität Bern), explains.
Read the interview 👉 t.ly/_CsMq
#HumanRights #pesticides

Cover of the report showing a durian tree. Title: The Durian Boom: The "Smelly Fruit" - an opening for elite capture and speculation

4/4 ⚠️ But much of this land remains unused/is diverted to other use.
💡The authors call for regulations and strong environmental & social safeguards to prevent another cycle of boom crops driven by overproduction and dependence on external markets.
Full report 👉 t.ly/6Ul3E
Brief Note 👉 t.ly/8Z_cs

First graph showing the share of durian plantation area by investor country of origin. Second graph showing the share of plantation arrangements

3/4 ◾Durian plantations in Laos cover at least 16,520 ha – ranging in size from 1 ha up to 30,000 ha.
◾About 98% of the plantations are owned by companies.
◾Ownership is dominated by Lao actors (42%), mainly business people & senior officials, followed by Chinese (32%) and Vietnamese (23%) owners.

Durian plantation in Laos

Graph plantation hectares establishment/approved annually since 2005

2/4 A report by CDE Lao staff members et al. sheds light on the durian surge in #Laos. While the boom has created new opportunities, it reveals also challenges: as a highly capital-intensive crop, durian offers little benefit to smallholders and has spurred elite capture and #landspeculation.

Durian fruit

1/4 Do you know durian? The "smelly fruit" is known for its intense aroma – so strong that it is banned in public spaces in some countries.
📈 Rising demand from the Chinese market has led to the rapid expansion of durian #plantations across #SoutheastAsia.
But who really benefits from this boom❓

An independent “green economy” pathway in Africa Promoting a sustainable intra-African timber trade

🌍 #Africa exports huge quantities of wood but imports processed timber – fueling trade deficits. A joint CDE & African Forest Forum project explores how strengthening intra-African timber trade can boost jobs, investment, and sustainable forest management.
Learn more👉 t.ly/TZvC2
#GreenEconomy

Eigenständiger Weg für eine grüne Wirtschaft in Afrika Nachhaltigen innerafrikanischen Holzhandel fördern

🌍 #Afrika ist Holzexporteur, importiert aber viele Holzprodukte. Die Folge: Handelsdefizite. Ein Projekt von CDE und dem African Forest Forum untersucht, wie die Stärkung des innerafrikanischen Holzhandels Jobs, Investitionen und eine nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung fördern kann.
Story👉 t.ly/mn59W

🌍🌿 Shape the future! Apply now for the Master’s in Sustainability Transformations @unibe.ch, tackle global challenges, and become a changemaker. 💡
More details & application info 👉 t.ly/SIsAX
📅 Apply by 30 April 2026
🌐 International? Apply early for visa processing.
#sustainability #studies

Cover page of Mountain Research and Development, Volume 45, Number 4. The cover photo by Dipak Raj Rai shows countless pieces of chhurpi—a hard cheese made from yak buttermilk—stored on overhead racks in a dark room with an earthen floor, stone walls, and a black wooden ceiling. The room also contains a wooden chair, baskets, and various other utensils. The chhurpi was produced by a private dairy in Gatlang, Nepal. While the state-supported marketization of yak products has boosted some households’ income, it is simultaneously eroding traditional sustainable herding practices and causing environmental degradation, as shown in the article by Indra Mani Rai and colleagues in this issue.

Another issue is complete! Articles examine changes in yak herding in Nepal, challenges in implementing science–society interaction policies in mountain biosphere reserves worldwide, and topography’s role in socioeconomic development in the European Alps. Read the issue: bioone.org/toc/mred/45/4

💡Takeaways:
🌱 Die #Natur ist der wichtigste Dienstleister. Wir haben die Wahl, ob wir sie weiter untergraben oder sie bewahren
💰 Jährlich werden ≈ 7 Billionen USD in Aktivitäten investiert, die sich negativ auf die Natur auswirken. Das Geld ist da, muss aber in die richtige Richtung gelenkt werden

Henri Rueff

«𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮̈𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗭𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗶𝘁, 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝘄𝗮̈𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲»
#GEO7 ist die bisher umfassendste wissenschaftliche Bewertung des Zustands der #Umwelt. Wir haben Henri Rueff, einen der Hauptautor"innen, gefragt: Welche Wege zeigt GEO7 aus den Umweltkrisen auf? Interview 👉https://t.ly/aIK5j

Planet Earth on a black background Text: GEO-7. A future we choose. Why investing in Earth now can lead to a trillion-dollar benefit for all

💡 Takeaways:
🌱 Nature is our primary supplier. The choice is whether we continue undermining it or decide to safeguard it.
💰 Every year, ≈ USD 7 trillion is invested worldwide in activities with a negative impact on nature. The money exists, it’s a matter of redirecting it in the right direction