Research Projects

Latest Open Projects from D-MTEC and Associated Labs on SiROP:

Analyse von Schweizer Agrarmärkten

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-USYS

Beschreibung und ökonomische Interpretation der Marktordnung eines Schweizer Agrarmarktes

Keywords

Agrarmärkte, Wertschöpfungskette, Marktordnung

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Bachelor Thesis

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Published since: 2024-03-04 , Earliest start: 2021-11-15 , Latest end: 2022-12-31

Applications limited to ETH Zurich

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-USYS

Hosts Huber Robert

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences

Towards interpretable learning pipeline: A visual-assisted workflow for locomotion learning

ETH Competence Center - ETH AI Center

Current reinforcement learning (RL)-based locomotion controllers have shown promising performance. However we are still not clear about what is learned during the training process. In this project, we investigate the proper metrics and visualisation techniques to interactively steer the locomotion learning tasks.

Keywords

Reinforcement learning; visualization; interpretable AI

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Semester Project , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-02-28 , Earliest start: 2024-02-26 , Latest end: 2024-08-26

Organization ETH Competence Center - ETH AI Center

Hosts Zhang Xiaoyu , Shi Fan , Wang April , Shi Fan , Shi Fan

Topics Engineering and Technology

Evaluating the performance of Swiss crop production

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Pesticide use in agricultural cropping systems is critical for food security but its adverse effects on human health and the environment have been repeatedly shown. Thus, promoting the efficient use of inputs in crop production, for reducing these adverse effects, is an urgent topic in the agricultural policy agendas globally (e.g Ahovi et al., 2024). In Switzerland, pesticide use is a highly debatable topic and the country has its own initiatives to mitigate the harmful impacts of pesticides (see Finger 2021). Consequently, understanding the factors that affect the performance of crop producers in terms of efficiency is necessary for promoting a more sustainable crop production (Devilliers et al., 2024).

Keywords

crop production, pesticides, sustainability, efficiency

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Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-02-20 , Earliest start: 2024-02-21 , Latest end: 2025-03-01

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Parikoglou Iordanis

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences , Economics

Heat Stress and efficiency in Swiss dairy production

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

How efficiently are dairy farmers using their inputs at higher levels of heat stress conditions? Heat stress is one of the main climatic risks in dairy production (Finger et al., 2018). Due to climate change, heat stress conditions are expected to be even more frequent and severe. Under these conditions, farmers need to be able to use their inputs efficiently. The efficient use of inputs is one of the key policies in Switzerland with important implications on resilience and sustainability, e.g. securing viable incomes, minimizing environmental pressures, improved animal welfare, preventing exit of farms etc.

Keywords

Heat Stress, dairy production, climate change, extreme weather events, resilience, sustainability, economics

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Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-02-20 , Earliest start: 2024-02-21 , Latest end: 2024-03-01

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Parikoglou Iordanis

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences , Economics

Review of the state of agricultural insurances in dairy farming

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Climate change is affecting agricultural production, lowering yields, increasing costs, increasing yield variability and thus causing financial losses for farmers (Webber et al., 2018). There are also negative implications for dairy production (e.g. Bucheli et al. 2022, Gisbert-Queral et al. 2021). Adopting suitable agricultural practices (e.g. cooling systems etc) is necessary for mitigating financial losses due to weather events (e.g. Vroege et al. 2023, Bucheli et al. 2022). Despite this, farmers may still experience financial losses due to weather conditions. In this regard, insurances are an essential complementary management practice for securing farmers’ viable income. Therefore, understanding the current state of the available agricultural insurance is essential for improving their effectiveness in compensating for farmers’ financial losses. Although the literature provides a though examination on the state of agricultural weather insurances offered in crop farming (e.g. Bucheli et al. 2023) and there are selected approaches documented in the literature (e.g. Deng et al. 2007), there is no overview research on and available insurances for heat and drought related damages in the dairy sector.

Keywords

Dairy production, extreme weather events, climate change, agricultural insurances

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Bachelor Thesis

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Published since: 2024-02-20 , Earliest start: 2024-02-21 , Latest end: 2025-03-01

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Parikoglou Iordanis

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences , Economics

Decoupling or delusion: Can Europe's agricultural production grow while its greenhouse gas emissions shrink?

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Europe’s agriculture targets carbon neutrality by 2050, but global greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Agriculture, a major contributor, faces a dilemma: meeting growing demand clashes with reducing emissions. Decoupling production from emissions is proposed as a solution, but its feasibility is debated. This thesis investigates decoupling in European agriculture using statistical analysis to identify regional decoupling trajectories and their success factors.

Keywords

Climate change, decoupling, green growth, European agriculture

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Master Thesis

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Agri-environmental policies in Europe like the EU's Green Deal aim to make Europe the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Despite this ambition and the Paris Agreement's target of limiting global warming to below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise worldwide. Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change necessitating efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the food system to align with climate targets (Clark et al., 2020). At the same time, the global demand for food, fiber and bioenergy derived from agricultural activities is steadily growing. Consequently, there is a pressing need to increase agricultural production to meet these growing demands (Bennetzen et al., 2016). This presents a possible dilemma : the imperative to boost food production may clash with the imperative to reduce GHG emissions. A proposed solution discussed in this context is the concept of decoupling production from GHG emissions (Tapio, 2005). There has been an ongoing debate regarding whether environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions and natural resource use, can be separated from economic growth (2020; Parrique et al., 2019; Ward et al., 2016). Decoupling can happen in two ways: relative, when economic growth outpaces emissions growth, and absolute, when emissions decrease even as production continues to grow. Working knowledge of R is expected. **References:** Bennetzen, E. H., Smith, P., & Porter, J. R. (2016). Decoupling of greenhouse gas emissions from global agricultural production: 1970-2050. Global Change Biology, 22(2), 763–781. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13120 Clark, M. A., Domingo, N. G. G., Colgan, K., Thakrar, S. K., Tilman, D., Lynch, J., Azevedo, I. L., & Hill, J. D. (2020). Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets. Science, 370(6517), 705–708. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba7357 Haberl, H., Wiedenhofer, D., Virág, D., Kalt, G., Plank, B., Brockway, P., Fishman, T., Hausknost, D., Krausmann, F., Leon-Gruchalski, B., Mayer, A., Pichler, M., Schaffartzik, A., Sousa, T., Streeck, J., & Creutzig, F. (2020). A systematic review of the evidence on decoupling of GDP, resource use and GHG emissions, part II: Synthesizing the insights. Environmental Research Letters, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab842a Parrique, T., Barth, J., Briens, F., Kerschner, C., Kraus-Polk, A., Kuokkanen, A., & Spangenberg, J. H. (2019). Decoupling debunked. Evidence and Arguments against Green Growth as a Sole Strategy for Sustainability. A Study Edited by the European Environment Bureau EEB. Phillips, P. C. B., & Sul, D. (2007). Transition modeling and econometric convergence tests. Econometrica, 75(6), 1771–1855. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0262.2007.00811.x Tapio, P. (2005). Towards a theory of decoupling: degrees of decoupling in the EU and the case of road traffic in Finland between 1970 and 2001. Transport Policy, 12(2), 137–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2005.01.001 Ward, J. D., Sutton, P. C., Werner, A. D., Costanza, R., Mohr, S. H., & Simmons, C. T. (2016). Is decoupling GDP growth from environmental impact possible? PLoS ONE, 11(10), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164733

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Published since: 2024-02-19 , Earliest start: 2024-02-19

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Stetter Christian

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences

Beyond Targets: Assessing the Real-World Impact of Europe’s Climate Policies in Agriculture

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

This master's thesis aims to explore whether there have been abrupt shifts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture in Europe, and if so, whether these changes correspond with policy interventions. Given the Europe’s ambitious emissions reduction targets and the significant contribution of agriculture to climate change, the study seeks to employ break-detection methods to assess the effectiveness of agricultural policies in mitigating GHG emissions. The results could potentially guide policymakers toward more effective strategies for aligning agricultural practices with climate targets set forth in initiatives like the European Green Deal.

Keywords

Climate change mitigation, break-detection, policy assessment, European agriculture

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Master Thesis

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European countries set ambitious emissions reduction targets. For example, the European Union has set ambitious emissions targets. To achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), the European Commission initiated the European Green Deal with the aim of making Europe the first continent to achieve climate neutrality, reaching net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 (Wolf et al., 2021). Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change necessitating efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the food system to align with set climate targets (Clark et al., 2020). For example, in 2021, emissions from agriculture accounted for 11% of total GHG emission in the EU. At the same time, policymakers have a wide range of tools at their disposal aimed at curbing agricultural emissions, from financial incentives to regulatory measures (Hasler et al., 2022). However, there is still considerable uncertainty about which (mixes of) policy interventions are effective in reducing GHG emissions from agriculture. One way to evaluate such policies is to test whether a known intervention has been effective in achieving its goals (Pretis, 2022). This thesis takes on another angle instead. It seeks to identify structural breaks in GHG emissions first, and then tries to attribute detected emission breaks (policy effects) that occurred during the identified time periods (Koch et al., 2022). This approach enables the assessment of the potential effectiveness of policy mixes and not only single policies. The results could potentially guide policymakers toward more effective strategies for aligning agricultural practices with climate targets set forth in initiatives like the European Green Deal. Working knowledge of R is expected. **References:** Clark, M. A., Domingo, N. G. G., Colgan, K., Thakrar, S. K., Tilman, D., Lynch, J., Azevedo, I. L., & Hill, J. D. (2020). Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets. Science, 370(6517), 705–708. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba7357 Hasler, B., Termansen, M., Nielsen, H. Ø., Daugbjerg, C., Wunder, S., & Latacz-Lohmann, U. (2022). European Agri-environmental Policy: Evolution, Effectiveness, and Challenges. Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, 16(1), 105–125. https://doi.org/10.1086/718212 Koch, N., Naumann, L., Pretis, F., Ritter, N., & Schwarz, M. (2022). Attributing agnostically detected large reductions in road CO2 emissions to policy mixes. Nature Energy, 7(September). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-022-01095-6 Pretis, F. (2022). Does a Carbon Tax Reduce CO2 Emissions? Evidence from British Columbia. Environmental and Resource Economics, 83(1), 115–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10640-022-00679-w Skjærseth, J. B. (2021). Towards a European Green Deal: The evolution of EU climate and energy policy mixes. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 21(1), 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-021-09529-4 Wolf, S., Teitge, J., Mielke, J., Schütze, F., & Jaeger, C. (2021). The European Green Deal — More Than Climate Neutrality. Intereconomics, 56(2), 99–107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-021-0963-z

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Published since: 2024-02-19

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Stetter Christian

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences

Master's Thesis / Semester Project at ETH Zurich: Energy Savings and Load Shifting of Customer Demand under Dynamic Grid-usage Tariffs

Bits to Energy Lab

Showcasing energy savings and load shifting potential of residential customers' electricity demand under time-dependent grid-usage tariffs.

Keywords

Energy, Smart Meter Data, Data Analysis, Sustainability

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Semester Project , Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-02-08 , Earliest start: 2024-04-01 , Latest end: 2024-10-31

Organization Bits to Energy Lab

Hosts Kreft Markus

Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology

Adoption of low pesticide agriculture: the role of economic incentives and pest control goals

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

The farming sector needs to become more sustainable and farming goals and economic incentives both play an important role in the adoption of sustainable practices. The objective of this master thesis is to analyze whether and to what extent pest management goals and economic incentives explain the adoption of low-pesticide agriculture among apple producers.

Keywords

Sustainable agriculture, pesticides, behavioral factors, pest management

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Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-01-24 , Earliest start: 2023-05-01 , Latest end: 2024-06-30

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Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Garcia Viviana

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences , Economics , Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences

Betriebliche Optimierungsmodelle in der Schweizer Landwirtschaft

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-USYS

Basierend auf Ihren Kenntnissen aus der Vorlesung «Optimierung landwirtschaftlicher Produktionssysteme» erstellen Sie ein Optimierungsmodell in Excel oder R und beantworten damit eine von Ihnen erarbeitete Forschungsfrage.

Keywords

Optimierung, Schweizer Landwirtschaft, Lineare Programmierung

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Bachelor Thesis

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Published since: 2024-01-22 , Earliest start: 2019-11-01 , Latest end: 2020-12-31

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Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-USYS

Hosts Huber Robert

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences , Mathematical Sciences , Economics

Economic impacts of heat stress in Swiss dairy production

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

The global increase in temperature and humidity amplifies local impacts on livestock husbandry. Climatic extreme events like heat waves negatively affect milk producers, especially because cows experiencing heat stress may imply lower milk and milk component yields in Switzerland. This thesis uses rich data from swissherdbook and MeteoSwiss and provides causal estimates of temperature humidity shocks on milk production using an econometric analysis. Based on this assessment, the thesis quantifies its economic relevance, considering both quantity and price effects. Knowledge about climate change impacts on milk production provides highly relevant information for farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

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Agricultural economics, dairy cows, heat stress, milk production

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Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-01-22 , Earliest start: 2022-05-18

Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Kliestenec Katarina

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences

Master Thesis at ETH Zurich in Applied Computer Science: Development of an ML Algorithm for Drunk Driving Detection

Bosch IoT Lab

Driver state detection systems will become mandatory in many countries in this decade. In this thesis, you will use a unique multi-sensor dataset with 55 drivers collected by us in a in a real car on a test track to develop a ML drunk driving detection algorithm!

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applied computer science; driver state detection; data analytics; explainable machine learning;

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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)

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Published since: 2024-01-19 , Earliest start: 2024-01-01 , Latest end: 2024-12-31

Organization Bosch IoT Lab

Hosts Deuber Robin

Topics Mathematical Sciences , Information, Computing and Communication Sciences

Farmers’ perceptions of climate risk and risk preferences

Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Weather-related extreme events and resulting production risks are becoming more prevalent for farmers. Farmers’ perceptions of such events and their expectations of how those changes can affect their farming activities in the future ultimately define farm decisions such as risk management practices, production decisions and mitigation efforts. This thesis explores the formation of risk perceptions of climate risk, focusing particularly on the role of farmers' risk preferences.

Keywords

Climate risk, risk perceptions, risk preferences.

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Master Thesis

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Published since: 2024-01-03 , Earliest start: 2024-01-01 , Latest end: 2024-07-31

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Organization Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy D-MTEC

Hosts Garcia Viviana

Topics Agricultural, Veterinary and Environmental Sciences , Economics