Swiss hazelnuts on the rise: a look back at a pioneering project for more biodiversity and sustainable nutrition

By Benjamin Krähenmann | 8. May 2025 |

90% der in der Schweiz konsumierten Haselnüsse stammen aus der Türkei. Dabei ist die Haselnuss eigentlich in der Schweiz heimisch! Seit 2022 hat Crowd Container zusammen mit dem Ökologen und Landwirt Stefan Gerber an einem zukunftsweisenden Projekt gearbeitet: der ersten grösseren Haselnussanlage im Kanton Zürich. Nach drei Jahren ziehen wir Bilanz und fassen spannende Erkenntnisse…

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The forest gardens of Kerala: a travelogue

By Benjamin Krähenmann | March 27, 2025 |

More than fair trade - Crowd Container's first slogan was inspired by the Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK). Our partners in Kerala launched the Fair Trade +3 concept more than ten years ago. In addition to fair trade and organic farming, their focus is on three topics: Biodiversity, food security and gender equality. With...

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We can only produce high-quality olive oil if the soil is healthy

By Benjamin Krähenmann | December 12, 2024

It is hot and dry in summer, but at the same time there is less and less rain in winter and spring. And then there are storms like the one in the fall of 2024. We are talking about Andalusia, Spain's southernmost autonomous community on the mainland, which is twice the size of Switzerland in terms of area. Producing food here using regenerative cultivation methods is...

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Swiss hazelnuts in check - a climate-friendly alternative?

By Benjamin Krähenmann | July 11, 2024 |

Why do we need Swiss hazelnuts? We firmly believe that hazelnuts can make a significant contribution to climate-friendly and sustainable agriculture. For this reason, we have established the first hazelnut plantation in the canton of Zurich together with farmer Stefan Gerber. But what does it really look like? Are Swiss hazelnuts really more climate-friendly than those produced...

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Wild bees love hazelnuts

By Benjamin Krähenmann | January 25, 2024 |

More biodiversity thanks to Swiss hazelnuts. This has been our aim since we started working with Stefan Gerber, a farmer and biologist from Mettmenstetten ZH. The research and planning company Ö+L Ökologie und Landschaft 2023 measured for us how many and which plant and animal species feel particularly at home in our hazelnut orchard. These results were compared with two comparable orchards.

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Flowering & pollination of hazel - new findings for cultivation in Switzerland

By Benjamin Krähenmann | April 19, 2023 |

Barcelona, Butler, Ennis, Hallesche Riesen, Walter + Heidi: names that seem to have nothing in common at first glance. However, they refer to five of the 53 hazelnut varieties that Stefan Gerber grows on his farm in Mettmenstetten ZH. From the end of December 2022 to the end of March 2023, Stefan observed when the different varieties bloomed - and made his first...

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"Jonathan's favorite recipe goes down well!"

By Benjamin Krähenmann | November 16, 2022 |

How can we find out about sustainable shopping options and preparation methods? What educational programs are available for children, young people and adults in this area? What role do WAH lessons play in secondary school (economics, work, household)? And are old recipes the key to sustainable nutrition? The following experts discussed these questions on November 16, 2022 at the Impact Hub...

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Where does the money from our purchases go?

By Benjamin Krähenmann | November 7, 2022 |

How transparent are our food supply chains? And which players actually get the biggest slice of the pie? We discussed these questions at the last FoodTalk 2022 in Zurich. The following experts* answered the questions of the 30 attendees: Johannes Kübel, member of the Koopernikus cooperative and Lightwave (direct marketing platform, B2B) Marisa Munz, Lead Operations & Sourcing Crowd...

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More biodiversity and sustainable nutrition thanks to Swiss hazelnuts

By Benjamin Krähenmann | September 8, 2022 |

Hazelnuts are a valuable source of vegetable protein and are important for a balanced and sustainable diet. It is therefore also in great demand in this country. However, Swiss hazelnuts are still in short supply: around 90% of the hazelnuts consumed here come from Turkey. Together with Stefan Gerber, a farmer from Mettmenstetten ZH, we want to change this. Last year, we planted 1,600...

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