Emilia Schmitt
PhD, Senior Researcher
Semester or Master projects
As part of the SNSF-funded research project TRUE-COST-CH, we are offering several Master thesis opportunities for motivated students!
The project develops a True Cost Accounting for Food (TCAF) methodology to uncover the hidden environmental, social, health, and economic costs of food systems and to inform the transition towards more sustainable and equitable food futures.
By joining one of these thesis projects, you will become part of an interdisciplinary research consortium, collaborate with stakeholders shaping the Swiss food system.
Topic 1 – Co-creating pathways for food system transition
Embedded in Work Package 3 (WP3), this thesis will support the development of a theory of change for a sustainable and equitable food system in Switzerland. You will co-develop a survey tool with the project team, mapping and analysing Swiss initiatives that could inform or support the implementation of the TCAF methodology. The survey will feed into the design of a stakeholder roadmap, deployed during multi-stakeholder workshops. You will actively participate in data collection and analysis, working closely with researchers and practitioners.
Topic 2 – How stakeholders see the True Cost of Food
Embedded in Work Package 4 (WP4), this thesis involves conducting interviews with stakeholders from food value chains such as pork, meat, milk or eggs (e.g. farmers, industry actors, retailers) and from key sectors (agriculture, industry, or policy). You will explore how they perceive TCAF results and what solutions they consider viable or fair to implement. The findings will strengthen the project’s outcomes and provide valuable insights for policy dialogues and systemic change.
Topic 3 – Assessing the societal cost of food in a Swiss canton
TCAF approach can be applied at regional scale to estimate the societal costs of food systems, including public health burdens, environmental degradation or subsidies. In this project, you will calculate the true cost of food production and consumption in a Swiss canton (e.g. Vaud, Valais or Geneva) using secondary data and the BASIC methodology. The work may also include a specific focus on mutualised costs borne by the public sector, by analysing how these are covered in cantonal or federal budgets. The results will directly contribute to the project and may inform local policy discussions.
Topic 4 – Exploring societal costs and benefits in Val Poschiavo (GR)
Some Swiss regions have already taken concrete steps toward more sustainable food systems. In this thesis, you will assess — or co-develop in a participatory way— the societal true costs and benefits associated with food practices in Val Poschiavo (GR), a pioneering territory. The case study will involve field engagement, local collaborations and exchanges with researchers.
