Articles

Following the devastating earthquake on 10 August 2026, SWISSAID has launched its emergency aid programme in Colombia for a total of 243 families across five departments. Depending on local needs, affected communities will receive food and emergency aid parcels, get support for rebuilding the water supply networks, and obtain vouchers for materials to repair their homes.

Sonja Tschirren, climate expert at SWISSAID, analyzes the consequences of El Niño on global agriculture and explains how agroecology makes it possible to anticipate the crisis and strengthen the resilience of countries in the Global South.

Floods and hailstorms in the summer of 2025 destroyed a large proportion of the harvest of thousands of farming families in Niger. To support 2,000 families, SWISSAID is running an aid project in the Dosso and Tillabéry regions.

The climate phenomenon El Niño is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, thereby increasing the risk of extreme weather events. SWISSAID teams are already observing the initial impacts and are preparing for the months ahead.

SWISSAID aims to document its work as transparently and comprehensively as possible. Data expert Lukas Reinhard explains how SWISSAID collects its data – and why effective monitoring is so important.

Ally Majidu Makundi is a senior at Ndwika Girls Secondary School in Tanzania. At 20 years old, she shares with us her passion for agriculture, her ambitions, and her vision for the profession of farming, which she hopes to make more accessible to women.

The Bibi Fatima women’s group in India is a striking example: it has even received an award for its unique contributions to biodiversity. Farmer Bibi Jan shares her story.

Agroecology is not only key to global food security, but also to gender equality: it makes women farmers more independent, gives them a voice and secures their access to land and to other resources. SWISSAID gender expert Valentina Maggiulli explains exactly how. 

SWISSAID aims to document its work as transparently and comprehensively as possible. Data expert Lukas Reinhard explains how SWISSAID collects its data – and why effective monitoring is so important.

Emilce Reyes is a smallholder women farmer from Colombia. During a visit to her farm, she explains how she makes a living from farming in the High Andes – and how she advocates for women’s rights.

The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz highlight once again: our global agricultural system is heavily reliant on fossil fuels for transportation purposes or to produce fertilisers. A dependency that renders it quite fragile – and results in serious consequences: the oil shortages are likely to exacerbate hunger worldwide, including in our partner countries.

A new IPES-FOOD report warns that digital innovation in agriculture must not come at the expense of the environment or people. A SWISSAID project in Ecuador and Colombia points the way towards a more equitable approach to digital agroecology.

In the heart of the Boyacá mountains, the El Convite Campesino association is transforming agroecology into an act of resistance and pride.

A devastating earthquake on 28 March 2025 destroyed lives and livelihoods in Myanmar. One year later, survivors at Inle Lake speak about loss, solidarity – and the long road back to a normal life.

Violence against women remains a major global challenge. How can we design more effective and sustainable prevention efforts? Join us for a webinar on 9 March 2026 about a new approach we developed in India: engaging law schools to act against gender-based violence. Register now!

How can agroecology lead to healthier diets, gender equity, decent livelihoods, and climate resilience in India? An upcoming webinar on 9 February 2026 with development and agriculture experts presents key learnings and best practices.

We spoke to Mariana Córdoba, Country Representative of SWISSAID Colombia, about gender-based violence in the country – and how SWISSAID supports local communities to prevent and heal from it.

As part of the ‘16 Days Against Violence Against Women’ campaign, SWISSAID and the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Bern organised a public event in Bern on the topic of violence against women in Colombia and Ecuador. The programme was varied and exciting, featuring video reports, the results of a study and a panel discussion with experts who addressed the causes of violence, the role of women’s organisations and research.

Regenerative agriculture has become an increasingly important topic in public debates on sustainability. In a new report and accompanying webinar, SWISSAID takes a closer look, explains what the approach is about and how it can contribute to fighting climate change.

29.9.2025 | The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) has finally tightened its standards and will thus provide greater transparency from 2026 onwards. However, SWISSAID notes that the changes are still insufficient and that further adjustments are necessary.

In the Indian state of Karnataka, a group of women has achieved an incredible feat: they revived the cultivation of millet, an ancient, long-forgotten native grain. This SWISSAID partner project has now won the prestigious “Equator Prize 2025” from the United Nations Development Program.

Women are the driving force when it comes to food security. In order for them to reach their full potential in the Global South, there is still work to be done in terms of equality. And achieving that goal is easier collectively than alone, says Valentina Maggiulli, SWISSAID’s expert on equality.

Local and resource-friendly, agroecology is a method of soil cultivation that is resilient to climate change and reduces farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers. Despite this, it remains overshadowed by industrial agriculture. Francesco Ajena, SWISSAID’s Agroecology Advisor, is convinced that agroecology can serve as a lever for systemic change.

Emergency aid is more important than ever in today’s global context. SWISSAID sees this in its daily work. We are focussing on immediate aid, long-term solutions and close cooperation on the ground. A conversation with Daniel Ott Fröhlicher, SWISSAID’s emergency aid expert.

SWISSAID is currently analysing extensive data on the gold sector in each country across the continent. We recently published an analysis of Botswana. The results will be released country by country and can be consulted on the africangoldreport.org website.

Agroecological farming methods are crucial in the fight against hunger in the poorest regions of the world. SWISSAID has been working with this sustainable approach for decades now, and received validation for it in 2024.

After the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, many people are in great need. We are on the ground helping affected families with urgently needed relief supplies.

SWISSAID co-published Seeds at risk, a powerful appeal for the vital role of farmers’ seeds in food security and biodiversity preservation. Through a North-South perspective, the authors shed light on the pressure large corporations exert on farmers to adopt industrial seeds and secure lucrative patents. The publication was launched with a webinar in which the key findings and ways of resistance were discussed.

The Nicaraguan government closed the SWISSAID office on 28th March 2025. Our organisation is thus forced to leave the country and end its support for the population, which we deeply regret. Many other NGOs are suffering the same fate.

SWISSAID is highlighting the importance of supporting new generations in learning about and acquiring their rights. As in India, where child marriage is forbidden, yet this sad tradition continues to affect millions of young girls. Shyamal Lohar refused this fate.

30.01.2025 | Equal rights for men and women require training in leadership roles. Only then can patriarchal structures be questioned and broken down. One of the success stories of different gender projects during the last five years in Tanzania shows how this works: the women are more self-confident, hold leadership positions and are more economically independent.

15.01.2025 | En 1949, SWISSAID recevait pour la première fois le label de qualité Zewo. Les 21 normes strictes qui composent le label sont réévaluées tous les 5 ans. Après un examen des pratiques de SWISSAID, ZEWO lui à nouveau délivré sa certification de qualité.

Colombia has adopted its first national policy on agroecology. With this clear commitment to agroecology, Colombia is heralding a comprehensive transformation of its agricultural systems and paving the way for more sustainable agriculture. SWISSAID has accompanied and supported this process.

14.10.2024 | The Sufosec Alliance, of which SWISSAID is a member, is publishing its new nutrition report «Sustainable nutrition starts locally» today. Based on data from around 125,000 households, it provides scientific evidence of the importance of agroecology in the fight against hunger. The results are promising, but many challenges remain. 

03.10.2024 | Severe flooding has hit the Sahel region in recent weeks. The normally longed-for rainy season is now leading to another critical situation in Niger. Further support is urgently needed!

In Tanzania, smallholder farming families grapple daily with the repercussions of climate change. Hunger and poverty are widespread. Yet, amidst these challenges, there is hope: New research findings indicate that agroecological practices, supported by innovative apps, can make a significant difference. A glimpse into Tanzanian field research.

Crises, climate change and the concentration of markets are driving up food prices. In Chad, for example, a kilo of rice now costs twice as much as it did a year ago. The situation is similar in India and Myanmar. The way out of hunger is through local, sustainable agriculture.

Genetic engineering is often propagated as a solution to hunger in the world, but only leads to more patents and market power for agricultural corporations. Small farmers have a much better chance of achieving food sovereignty through seed diversity and agroecology. That is why the Food Protection Initiative was launched on September 2024: to ensure that GMO-free food continues to be available in Switzerland.

In just one century, 75% of cultivated plant varieties have disappeared, swallowed up by a global market controlled by a handful of multinationals. Faced with this direct threat to our food security and the climate, farming communities worldwide are fighting back. By saving their traditional seeds despite increasingly restrictive laws, they are defending an ecological, resilient, and sovereign agriculture. Discover this vital struggle supported by SWISSAID.

In Tanzania, SWISSAID uses agroecological methods to improve the living conditions of smallholder farming families. Thanks to local materials and biopesticides, farmers have been able to improve their harvests and thus increase their income. Women benefit from greater recognition and economic advantages.

10.06.2024 | The SWISSAID General Assembly has heralded the end of Bastienne Joerchel’s term of office as Co-President of SWISSAID. Fabian Molina will now take over the presidency of the Foundation alone.

07.06.2024 | The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, points out a central problem: The demands of Switzerland and other countries threaten the farmer seed systems in the countries of the South, which are crucial for food security.

Biodiversity is at risk: of the original 6,500 plant varieties, just 150 are still cultivated today. Both humans and the environment suffer from this loss. Smallholders, scientists and politicians are working with SWISSAID to bring the old varieties back to life. This is part of our approach to ensuring greater food security.

As an expert in the fields of agroecology and gender equality, SWISSAID works in nine countries. On the ground and in close cooperation with local partners, we promote initiatives by people who are independently seeking a way out of poverty.

30.5.2024 | According to a new study, between 321 and 474 tons of artisanal gold are produced annually in Africa without being declared, and at least 435 tons of gold were smuggled from the African continent in 2022 alone. These are significant figures that represent a significant loss of revenue for many African states. This lack of state control reflects other problems: corruption, financing of armed conflicts or human rights violations.

The hurricane that swept across East Africa at the beginning of May caused severe flooding. Around 5,000 people are affected in our project areas in Tanzania. SWISSAID is active on the ground and is providing people with emergency aid. We are distributing food, seeds and tools for the reconstruction of fish ponds, fields and houses.

While climate and economic crises weaken the farming world, one vital question emerges: how can we feed the planet without exhausting it? From Switzerland to the Global South, agroecology is proving to be a concrete response to restore food security and protect our environment. Discover why this approach, championed by SWISSAID, is redefining the future of agriculture and the dignity of those who feed us. 

Hundreds of millions of people are involved in the gold trade. From mining to importing, processing and selling, the precious metal is omnipresent in our society. Marc Ummel, gold expert at SWISSAID, expresses his doubts about ethics in this field and the improvements that still need to be made.

SWISSAID is committed to a more responsible raw materials sector. This includes both the countries of the South, whose soils are rich in precious metals, and the countries of the North, the main exporters of raw materials.

Agroecology is at the heart of all our projects. It is the foundation of our work. The multi-layered approach of agroecology strengthens the natural cycles in the ecosystem, conserves resources such as soil and reduces dependence on external factors such as chemical fertilisers. In addition, the cultivation method strengthens the fields and thus the farming families against the effects of climate change.

What means Agrobiodiversity? Warlier it is for the globale Food system increasingly important? And what is the effect it global warming? These and other questions are answered in the brochure «Agrobiodiversity on the plate» which was published on the occasion of World Food Day.

16.10.23 | Access to healthy and sustainable food is still far from being a given for all people. In an interview, Kavita Gandhi, head of the SWISSAID coordination office in India, explains why agrobiodiversity is particularly important in combating hunger in the face of climate change.

2.10.23 | It is a breakthrough in transparency in the gold sector: The 33 mining companies that are members of the World Gold Council (WGC) will in future disclose the identity of their partner refineries and their locations, at least once a year. SWISSAID is very pleased with this announcement. Our organization had made this recommendation, among others, in a report published in March 2023.

Heat, floods, desertification: The consequences of the climate crisis are being felt particularly strongly on the African continent. This is driving millions of people into poverty and flight. How SWISSAID’s work is creating hope together with the local population.

Between 2020 and 2022, the world was shaken to its core. For SWISSAID and its partner countries, the Covid-19 pandemic was not just a health crisis: it also exposed the vulnerabilities of our global food system. A look back at a time when solidarity and agroecology were critical in the fight against hunger.

Despite the tense situation that Myanmar has been experiencing for the past few years, SWISSAID continues its development projects in agroecology and women’s empowerment. With the same objective of providing assistance to the populations in greatest need, Daniele Polini, the program manager in Myanmar, explains the current state of the country and reports on the progress of the projects.

In February 2022, what many had thought impossible actually happened, and war broke out in Europe. Putin’s invasion is not only having a catastrophic effect on Ukraine – it’s also fuelling world hunger. SWISSAID is helping with emergency aid and with ensuring more crisis-resistant agriculture for the long term.

Alongside its work in the field to support farmers in preserving their traditional seed varieties, SWISSAID is also involved in the political arena, both internationally and in Switzerland. It is only by recognizing farmers’ rights to seeds and the value of the work of seed keepers that sustainable improvements can be achieved.

30.03.2023 | Many refineries hide behind business secrecy when questioned about the origin of the gold they process. But SWISSAID managed to uncover more than 140 business relationships between African industrial gold mines and refineries. Its report on the topic involved meticulous documentary work and is a plea for more transparency.

Swissaid is committed to ensuring that Switzerland continues to reduce its high per capita CO2 emissions and that it proactively tackles the net-zero emissions target. As a rich and innovative country, Switzerland could set a shining example in this area and thus send a clear signal for climate justice.

Industrialized countries are primarily responsible for climate change, but it is mainly the populations of the South who suffer. Niger is particularly hard hit. In an interview, Sonja Tschirren, SWISSAID’s Climate Officer, explains the reasons for this situation, how bleak the outlook is, and what responsibility Switzerland must shoulder.

The food report published by the Sufosec Alliance on the occasion of World Food Day on 16 October 2022 shows shocking results. It highlights the dramatic increase in hunger in the world with figures and testimonies from those affected in the South. But it also gives hope and shows a way out of the hunger crisis. For example, with agroecology.

Seit Jahrzehnten engagieren sich Tausende von Schülerinnen und Schülern sowie Lehrpersonen in der Schweiz mit dem Verkauf von Abzeichen. Es ist mehr als nur eine Spendenaktion: Das Engagement stärkt auch die globale Solidarität und ist eine treibende Kraft, um Agrarökologie und Gleichstellung im Globalen Süden zu fördern.

2021 was a year of disasters, with the world being confronted with hurricanes, droughts, Covid and terror attacks. Especially in the Global South. SWISSAID was on hand with rapid and uncomplicated assistance – without losing sight of the long-term horizon.

05.05.2022 | A delegation of six Swiss parliamentarians and the director of Alliance Sud visited Tanzania in mid-April to learn about several SWISSAID projects, particularly in the extractive sector. They also visited a small agroecological farm and met with the authorities, partners and the local population.

28.04.2022 | In the Ecuadorian Andes, SWISSAID supports women farmers in producing in an agroecological way, as well as in marketing their products on the markets and raising awareness among the urban population. Paul Van Mele went to the province of Tungurahua in Ecuador and took part in a training course for women farmers on how to market their products. An amazing performance that he recounts in an article on agroinsight.com. Here is his story.   

Four questions for Simon Degelo: the responsible officer for food sovereignty and seed policy at SWISSAID talks about seed policies in Switzerland and the countries in the South, and the impact these restrictive rules have on smallholder farmers.

New genetic technologies are often presented as a solution to problems related to agriculture; global warming, pesticides, loss of biodiversity and soil fertility. According to SWISSAID, this is not the right approach.

The fight against hunger is multi-faceted. It starts with women being able to inherit and own land. This is what Isabela, a farmer from Guinea-Bissau, is fighting for. With the help of SWISSAID, she has broken through the patriarchal traditions in her country.

Women in Chad bear a heavy burden: they often provide for their families, mainly their children, on their own, without having the rights and means to do so. This is the case of Yaya Adoum. Despite her hard work, this widowed peasant woman was unable to provide for her family. With the support of a SWISSAID project, she found a way to fight hunger.

27.09.2021 | The United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 (UNFSS) took place from 23 to 24 September in New York. On this occasion, SWISSAID met with six women farmers from the South and from Switzerland. The aim was to give a voice to those who are in daily contact with the land and are working hard to feed the community. A report, which was handed over to Christian Hofer, Director of the Federal Office for Agriculture, on the eve of the Summit, describes their struggle and highlights the benefits of agroecology.

03.09.2021 | Since September 2020, Régina Clément Likopéro has been an intern at SWISSAID Tanzania. Far from the university benches, the young woman has found herself thrown into the world of work and has grown from it. She tells us about her experience.

16.08.21 | In Gámeza y Mongua, Boyacá, five peasant organizations have strengthened their knowledge of territorial development by appropriating the environment and working collectively to generate positive changes in their communities. Achieving the recovery of 18 types of ancestral seeds and the expansion of the vegetation cover of 160 water sources.

The pilot SWISSAID project CROPS4HD focuses on local, almost forgotten crops to improve the situation of people in the South.

Ermelinda Pedro Mendonça is president of the farmers’ association Granja Pessube. This mother of 4 children has both suffered the crisis and participated in the solution, distributing emergency aid. One year later, we asked her about the situation in the country, the changes that have taken place and her vision for the future.

16.03.2021 | More than 130 people attended the webinar on “agroecology against climate change and pandemics ” that took place on 9 March 2021, co-organised by SWISSAID and the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) of the University of Bern. The participants were unanimous: the time has come to change the world’s agriculture and food systems. There is an urgent need to develop agroecology in the North and the South. In 30 years, it will be too late.

09.03.2021 | In a letter to the LBMA, SWISSAID and four partner organisations point out the shortcomings of the certification of the international standard. The standard only partially meets its own criteria and some certified refineries are still sourcing gold of doubtful origin.

26.01.2021 | From sustainable fish farming on the coast to organic watermelon cultivation and responsible mining of raw materials in gold mines in the interior: SWISSAID is active in Tanzania in many different areas. Our new programme officer Christina Aebischer reports on her project visit.

The Valcambi gold refinery in Switzerland threatened to file a lawsuit against SWISSAID if its study “The hidden face of the gold trade”, published in July 2020, is not “withdrawn or corrected”. SWISSAID sticks to the results of the study and will therefore not withdraw it. For the sake of transparency, however, we are publishing the points disputed by Valcambi here.

15.07.2020 | In a study, SWISSAID has traced gold’s journey from Africa to Dubai and on to Switzerland. The research reveals the relationship between Swiss refiners and companies in the United Arab Emirates that trade with gold from conflict zones.

SWISSAID is committed to strengthening the position of women in society and combating gender-based violence. To do so, it draws on its long experience in the field, its local networks and its inclusive projects working hand-in-hand with local populations.

As a foundation for development cooperation, SWISSAID is also heavily affected by the corona virus. Faced with the crisis, each employee and each project had to reinvent themselves and often work in a hurry. On this page, you will find news from our partner countries for the months of March and April. –Translated with DeepL

SP National Councillor Fabian Molina is President of SWISSAID. In an interview, he talks about his relationship with SWISSAID and what impressed him most on his trip through Colombia.

Pay for tap water – and do good with it. The catering company Presswerk in Arbon has donated half of its income to Hahnenwasser. The money will go to a SWISSAID drinking water project in Chad. In an interview, Michèle Mehli, Head of Gastronomy, explains why this is not just a benefit for the people of Chad. -translated with DeepL

Gene drive organisms have been greeted with a breathless euphoria by some geneticists, policy-makers and philanthropists. By manipulating the sexual reproductive system of organisms, the promoters of the technology claim they should be able to exterminate some species that are harmful to humans. However, once we look behind the headline-grabbing claims, it becomes clear that the use of this technology could put food systems and humanity at serious risk of irreversible harm.

A brochure to raise awareness among Nigerian farmers and help them to face the seed industry lobby. Together, SWISSAID and the association BEDE, have developed an informative and educational document intended to support small farmers and keep the traditional seed system in place.