AgriSustaiNet: A Digital Multi-Component Advisory Platform to Enhance Sustainability Awareness of Swiss Organic Farmers

Summary in the original language of the document

Farmers face the challenge of balancing profitable food production with environmental sustainability. While Sustainability Assessment Tools (SATs) provide a structured approach to evaluating farm sustainability, their impact on actual practice change remains limited due to time constraints, lack of integration into advisory services, and insufficient consideration of farmers' decision-making processes. This project addresses these challenges by leveraging SATs as the core element of a digital platform designed to enhance sustainability awareness and facilitate agroecological transitions among Swiss organic farmers.
The platform integrates multiple components, including a self-check and advanced SAT modules, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and tailored advisory services. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the research combines qualitative and quantitative methods, incorporating stakeholder participation to ensure practical relevance. A Configurational Comparative method will assess the platform’s impact on farmers' awareness and decision-making.
Expected outcomes include a validated sustainability assessment and advisory platform for the Swiss organic sector, contributing to the broader discourse on farm sustainability and informing policy development. By embedding decision-making processes into SATs, the project aims to bridge the gap between assessment and actionable sustainability improvements.