SwissDeCode

#podcast time. Sitting down with the EIT Food folks to share how we are tackling cacao challenges and why precompetitive work matters.

The so-called Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) is spreading rapidly in West Africa. Sanja Fabrio from SwissDeCode explains why early detection of the virus is crucial. She also talks about a soon-to-be-launched project that aims to find cocoa varieties that are climate resilient, less susceptible to disease and also produce a good yield - a potential game changer for the cocoa sector. #CSSVD #Remediation #Sustainability #SustainableCocoa #Deforestation #CocoaSwollenShootVirus #DNAFoil

It was a pleasure to speak about ways we #test and #certify authentic food, #planthealth, and #origins at today's kick-off of IFAJ - International Federation of Agricultural Journalists' Congress 2024, A great day with selected speakers, journalists from every part of the globe, award-winning cheeses and sunny #Interlaken. Gianpaolo Rando Sanja Fabrio #ifaj2024 #certification #AgTech #SustainableFarming

Thrilled for the 1st prize #nexbio Amazonia. Two immersion weeks building new certification programs that preserve both product identities and the florest. Great partnerships started and looking forward to come back in November.

🎉 As we approach the end of #nexBio Amazônia, we had a day full of celebrations! On August 1st, Swiss National Day, we held our final ceremony and pitch competition at the MCT / Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, further strengthening the bond between Switzerland and Brazil. 🇨🇭🇧🇷 After a productive day at the Bioeconomy Amazon Summit fair, our group of startups and researchers, inspired by new connections and partnerships for entering the Brazilian market, brought their best to the pitch competition. 💪 ⭐️ With over one hundred attendees from the local bioeconomy innovation ecosystem—including representatives from government, academia, and industry—the atmosphere was electric. All participants showcased their innovative solutions, competing for both the audience's and the jury's awards. 🏆 Special congratulations to our winners: • Gianpaolo Rando from SwissDeCode • Tainah Fagundes from Da Tribu • Marco Failache Filho from Amaztrace Afterward, we celebrated the day’s achievements and offered a perfect opportunity for everyone to expand their networks. A huge thank you to our partners for their support and to all 19 participants of nexBio for their dedication and contributions over the past two weeks! 💜 And the journey isn’t over yet! Stay tuned for the final day’s excitement at nexBio Amazônia! 🌿 🤝 nexBio Amazônia program is a partnership between Swissnex in Brazil with A Fundação Amazônia de Amparo a Estudos e Pesquisas — FAPESPA, Sesc, Fiocruz Amazônia, Institute of Management in Latin America - University of St.Gallen acting as the Leading House for the Latin American Region, Instituto Peabiru, and Pólen - Laboratório de Gestão em Inovação.

Great #cocoa research, learnings transfer, and discussions at Cocoa Round Table in Hamburg today. The cocoa #swollenshoot disease (CSSVD) prominently featured as one of the key influencing factors of a global cocoa beans shortage. While there is no cure for this highly infectious #disease, its early #detection is key to saving healthy farms and protecting their #productivity. Thanks for the opportunity to showcase the ease of use and immediate results of SwissDeCode's DNAFoil CSSD in-field test that is supporting these efforts in Ivory Coast and Ghana. #chocolate #DNAFoil #planthealth

Half of the world's chocolate is sourced from cacao trees in West African nations like Ivory Coast and Ghana. However, Ghana is currently facing a significant challenge as cacao trees are being attacked by a damaging virus, leading to harvest losses ranging from 15 to 50 percent. The culprit behind this devastation is the cacao swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD), transmitted by small insects known as mealybugs, which feed on the leaves, buds, and flowers of the trees. Unfortunately, traditional pesticides are ineffective against these pests, leaving farmers with limited options. They are resorting to measures like removing infected trees and breeding resistant varieties in an attempt to contain the spread of the disease. #FarmingChallenges #GhanaCacao #IvoryCoastCacao #MealybugThreat #SustainableFarming #Ruraldevelopment 👉https://ow.ly/ZcuR50RvysG

🌱 Decoding the Future of Traceability 🌍 Traceability is considered a key pillar to ensure sustainability claims, for example, deforestation and farmers' financial well-being. Pushed by new regulations, a variety of approaches and solutions to ensure traceability have sprouted in the cocoa and other sectors. To understand which approaches and solutions exist today in our community, the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa hosted an event at Impact Hub Lausanne yesterday. Rob McWilliam from Earthworm Foundation explained which diverse approaches and solutions exist currently shaping traceability in the industry. Traceability solutions try to solve various problems, for different stakeholders, in different ways. To get a glimpse of this landscape, various cutting-edge solutions presented how they make traceability happen by 'speed dating' through the solutions' gallery walk. From AI, blockchain and satellite imagery, to genetic markups and interaction tools with farmers, these innovations promise to redefine industry standards and drive sustainable practices forward. The event culminated in an interactive panel called 'Fishbowl', where attendees reflected and presented their views on the necessity, (un)intended consequences and impact of traceability tools in today's cocoa and coffee supply chains. It was a fantastic opportunity to come together and explore how traceability can pave the way for a more sustainable future for cocoa and coffee production. We are on this journey together. Let's use the potential that these new technologies offer to take sustainability to the next level 🚀 A big thanks to all the solution providers who explained their services that will help us on our journey towards a more sustainable cocoa and coffee supply chain: abunda.plus, PRONATEC AG, Elucid Social, CABOZ AG, Farmerconnect, Farmforce, FarmStrong Foundation, Fynka, Koltiva, Open Food Chain, Helvetas, Picterra, Polyplants, PULA, Seedtrace, Koa Switzerland & Ghana, Starling, Earthworm Foundation, SwissDeCode. Browse through the booklet below to find an overview of what the different solution providers have to offer 👇 https://lnkd.in/e-aCvwpQ #Sustainability #Traceability #Cocoa #Coffee #Innovation #Technology #SustainableCocoa #EUDR #DigitalisationForSustainability #Blockchain

Vaccines, tree "social" distances, "masks" with other barrier trees in between and of course, our rapid CSSVD tests. Welcome (not really) to COVID for chocolate.

The top right quadrant is always a nice place to work but it only depends where one decides to mark the (0,0) origin. Kudos to all fellows and colleagues moving the needle to help farmers and food. manufacturers to grow high quality food!