Environmental and resource management

BFH-HAFL is committed to applied research in the field of environment and sustainability. Our experts develop innovative and practical solutions for a sustainable future.

Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Soil Use and Conservation

Everything here revolves around the topic of soil. We research and develop new methods and criteria for evaluating and mapping soil properties, with the aim of using soils more effectively and protecting...

Forest Ecosystem and Management

We address all the issues surrounding forest ecology and biodiversity, forest inventory, forest growth, natural forest management and forestry planning.

Grassland Ecology

Our research and services in the field of grassland ecology focus on the impacts of management practices, drought and invasive species upon vegetation.

Permaculture

This research group is investigating whether permaculture can be implemented in Swiss agriculture and whether it is ecologically, economically and socially sustainable.

Plant Protection and Agroecology

We take a holistic approach to managing natural resources and we develop practical solutions for doing so.

Sustainable Value Creation Systems

Agricultural policy, markets and value chains

We research agricultural markets and value chains, assess the impact of agricultural policies on the agri-food sector, and develop tailored strategies and recommendations for value chain governance.

Regional economics and regional development

Our main area of research is the development and management of agricultural and rural areas.

Circular Economy

Food Process Technology and Sustainable Innovation

For our partners, innovative processes, technologies and product concepts are the key to finding new and commercially exciting answers to current and future challenges. We work with you to find sustainable,...

Sustainability Assessment and Consulting

Sustainability Assessment and Advice

We develop and apply ways of assessing and optimising sustainability in agriculture and value chains.

Knowledge Systems and Knowledge Sharing

We are interested in how knowledge is generated, transmitted and used. We investigate the conditions that promote successful knowledge processing and the methods that can be used to link different types of...

Climate Protection and Adaptation

Gaseous Emissions from Agriculture

Our key research areas are measuring and modelling ammonia and methane emissions in agriculture.

Field-crop Production and Plant Breeding

Our goal is the sustainable production of top-quality agricultural products. Our core competence is the optimisation of field-crop production systems.

Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency

Energy Engineering

We focus principally on developing technologies for converting inedible biomass such as waste wood, farmyard manure, slurry and maize straw into high-quality chemicals and fuels.