Innovations for Regenerative Viticulture & Agriculture

This event will spotlight pioneering pilot projects and innovative startup solutions accelerating the transition to regenerative agriculture.

It will also ignite discussions on the financial, regulatory, and infrastructural shifts required to scale these innovations and align stakeholders around shared economic and environmental goals.

✨ What to expect:

• Showcases from leading agritech startups and labs
• Presentation of pilot projects and startups
• Roundtable discussions with multidisciplinary experts exploring key innovations and structural changes needed for the transition to regenerative agriculture
• Networking apéritif in a relaxed, scenic setting

🍇 Invitation-only event. In case of interest, please submit your application here:

‍

📅 Agenda & Speakers:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

14:00 | Exhibition of Startups and Innovations

• Exclusive visite of Changins (limited number of places)
• Startup exhibition (see below)

________________________________________________________________________________________________

15:00 | Welcome and Introductory remarks

		Marc Schmid Director of Changins
		Bertrand Klaiber Program lead, Tech4Regen, EPFL Innovation Park

________________________________________________________________________________________________

15:10 | Keynote

• Financing the transition to climate- and biodiversity-friendly agriculture
  — aligning public strategies and private actors

Dr. Wolf Klinz Economist, former member of the European Parliament, Chair of EFRAG Financial Reporting Board

________________________________________________________________________________________________

15:20 | SESSION 1 — Digital Tools & Data for Sustainable Farming

Presentation:

• Pilot implementing innovative AI-powered Decision Support System (DSS) specifically designed for vineyard management to counter biodiversity loss:
  — the VineDSS project, supported by the Valery Foundation and Innovaud

		Lisa Andrews Viticultural Engineer, Commercial Head DACH Region at databaum
		Dr. Cara Tobin Environmental Engineer, Innovation Coach, Venture Partner, Founder of C Greene Solutions
		Yannick Ritschel Executive Director, Fondation Valery

‍

Round table discussion and Q&A:

• Fostering adoption of new technologies and data sharing to scale their impact in regenerative agriculture

		Anne Verniquet (Moderator) Sustainability Manager, DSS+
		Simon Gasser Crop algorithm and agronomic services product manager, Ecorobotix
		Pierrick Poulenas CEO and Co-Founder, Picterra
		Lisa Andrews Viticultural Engineer, Commercial Head DACH Region at databaum
		Ettore Müller Sales manager at Gialdi vini SA, Founder of Niscioo sagl

________________________________________________________________________________________________

16:10 | SESSION 2 — Financing the regenerative agriculture transition

Presentation:

• Pilot for scalable nature finance in Switzerland and land restoration with regenerative farming

		Matthias Betsche Managing Director ProNatura Aargau
		Mauricio Benitez Principal Advisor, Nature Finance Accelerator

‍

Round table discussion and Q&A:

• Impact targets and technologies for scalable MRV (Monitoring / Reporting / Verification) and PES (Payments for Ecosystem Services)

		Aymeric Jung (Moderator) Impact Investing and Regenerative Economy Advisor
		Henrique Martins Managing Director, Nature Finance Accelerator
		Jerome von Burg Head of Sustainability Food Zone Europe (CSO), Nestlé
		Alain Chevee CEO and Co-Founder, Polyplants
		Craig S. Arnold CEO and Co-Founder, Swiss Soil

________________________________________________________________________________________________

17:00 | Closing remarks & Networking Cocktail 🥂

Continue the conversation during the networking cocktail at the Innovations Booth, where cutting-edge technologies in agriculture and viticulture are on display!

‍

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‍

🍇 Invitation-only event. In case of interest, please submit your application here:

‍

‍

🌿 Context & Challenges

‍

The state of biodiversity in Switzerland is “unsatisfactory” and the situation keeps getting worse. Loss of biological diversity represents a serious danger to our prosperity and quality of life.

_{Such is the verdict not of nature conservation organisations but of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)}

‍

70% of the carbon footprint of our products is in agriculture.

_{says Eugenio Simioni, Nestlé Switzerland's CEO}

‍

Extractive, conventional agriculture is both a key driver of the environmental crisis and heavily reliant on natural resources and ecosystem services currently at risk. Regenerative agriculture provides an opportunity to decarbonize and address environmental impacts and risks across multiple planetary boundaries, helping lay the foundation for resilience in a resource-constrained future.

‍_{Quantis insights}

‍

Approximately 35% of Swiss land is now used for agriculture. Converting land to agriculture fragments ecosystems, which negatively affects biodiversity. Additionally, agricultural runoff containing fertilizers and pesticides raises nitrogen and phosphorus levels in soils and waterways. (...)

Switzerland’s nature transition requires CHF 5.3 billion in annual investment until 2050. More than 25% of the total financing need relates to regenerative agriculture (CHF 1.4 billion per year).

Around 85% of the total investment is likely to require public funding, reflecting high public asset ownership and the low commercial viability of many interventions.

_{according to a study of Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG)}

‍

For investors in agrifood systems, business as usual is no longer viable. Evidence shows that the negative externalities of global agrifood systems outstrip the global market value of agricultural production by a ratio of two to one.

(...) 250-430 Billion dollars is the estimated annual funding gap required to transform conventional global food systems to regenerative practices over the next decade.

_{Report Financing for Regenerative Agriculture from the Rockfeller Foundation}

‍

‍