Dr. Christian Andres

Research Interests

Christian is a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist at ETH Zurich in sustainable cocoa production systems. From 2011 to 2019, he worked at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), where he compared organic vs. conventional cocoa production systems in Bolivia for their agronomic, economic and ecological performance. From 2015 to 2018, he did his PhD on the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease in Ghana. He continues to work in the country on dynamic agroforestry systems with cocoa for his Post-Doc. Christian is also the founder and CEO of OPC (Obrobibini Peace Complex), a Ghana-based organization implementing projects such as a centre of excellence for sustainable social enterprises and circular economy, as well as a 20 ha organic agroforestry farm.

Key Topics

• Tropical agroforestry (cocoa, oil palm and fruits)
• Organic agriculture (vegetables, beekeeping and mushrooms) and soil fertility management
• Participatory and transdisciplinary research

Education

Roxbourg Insitute of Social Entrepreneurship — Humanitarien MBA
June - September 2021

ETH, Zurich — Doctor of Science
April 2015 - March 2018
See work experience FiBL, supervisor ETH: Prof. Johan Six

ETH, Zurich — Master of Science
September 2009 - August 2011
Master in Agro-​Ecosystem Sciences (major: Crop Sciences)

ETH, Zurich — Bachelor of Science
September 2005 - August 2009
Bachelor in Agricultural Sciences

Curriculum Vitae

Download Curriculum Vitae Dr. Christian Andres (PDF, 155 KB)

Selected Publications

Peer-​reviewed articles

Lembrechts, J. J., et al. (2021) Global maps of soil temperature. Global Change Biology. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16060

Niether, W., Jacobi, J., Blaser, W.J., Andres, C., Armengot, L. (2020) Cocoa agroforestry systems versus monocultures: a multi-dimensional meta-analysis. Environmental Research Letters 15: 104085. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/abb053

Cicek, H., Bhullar, G.S., Mandloi, L.S., Andres, C., Riar, A.S. (2020) Partial Acidulation of Rock Phosphate for Increased Productivity in Organic and Smallholder Farming. Sustainability 12: 607. doi: 10.3390/su12020607

Andres, C., Hoerler, R., Home, R., Jörin, J., Dzahini-Obiatey, H.K., Ameyaw, G.A., Domfeh, O.K., Blaser, W.J., Gattinger, A., Offei, S.K., Six, J. (2018) Social network to inform and prevent the spread of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease in Ghana. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 38: 53. doi: 10.1007/s13593-018-0538-y

Niether, W., Armengot, L., Andres, C., Schneider, M., Gerold, G. (2018) Shade trees and tree pruning alter throughfall and microclimate in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) production systems. Annals of Forest Science 75: 38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-​018-0723-9

Andres, C., Blaser, W.J., Dzahini-​Obiatey, H.K., Ameyaw, G.A., Domfeh, O.K., Awiagah, M.A., Gattinger, A., Schneider, M., Offei, S.K., Six, J. (2018) Agroforestry systems can mitigate the severity of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 252:83-​92. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.09.031

Niggli, U., Andres, C.*, Willer, H., Baker, B.P. (2017) Building a global platform for organic farming research, innovation and technology transfer. Organic Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-​017-0191-9

Andres, C., Gattinger, A., Dzahini-​Obiatey, H.K., Blaser, W.J., Offei, S.K., Six, J. (2017) Combatting Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease: What do we know? Crop Protection, 98, 76-​84.

Gramlich, A., Tandy, S., Andres, C., Chincheros, J., Armengot, L., Schneider, M., Schulin, R. (2017) Cadmium Uptake by Cocoa Trees in Agroforestry and Monoculture Systems under Conventional and Organic Management. Science of the Total Environment 580, 677 – 686.

Armengot, L., Barbieri, P., Andres, C., Milz, J., Schneider, M. (2016) Cacao agroforestry systems have higher return on labor compared to full-​sun monocultures. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 36: 70. doi:10.1007/s13593-​016-0406-6

Schneider, M., Andres, C.*, Trujillo, G., Alcon, F., Amurrio, P., Perez, E, Weibel, F., Milz, J. (2016) Cocoa and total system yields of organic and conventional agroforestry vs. monoculture systems in a long-​term field trial in Bolivia. Experimental Agriculture 53, 351-​374. doi: 10.1017/S0014479716000417.

Andres, C., Bhullar, G.S.* (2016) Sustainable Intensification of Tropical Agro-​Ecosystems: Need and Potentials. Frontiers in Environmental Science 4: 5. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2016.00005

Jacobi, J., Andres, C., Schneider, M., Pillco, M., Calizaya, P., Rist, S. (2014) Carbon stocks, tree diversity, and the role of organic certification in different cocoa production systems in Alto Beni, Bolivia. Agroforestry Systems 88: 1117. doi: 10.1007/s10457-​013-9643-8

Forster, D., Andres, C.*, Verma, R., Zundel, C., Messmer, M.M., Mäder, P. (2013) Yield and Economic Performance of Organic and Conventional Cotton-​Based Farming Systems – Results from a Field Trial in India. PLoS ONE 8(12): e81039, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081039.

Books

Rahmann, G., Andres, C., Yadav, A.K., Ardakani, M.R., Babalad, H.B., Devakumar, N., Goel, S.L., Olowe, V., Ravisankar, N., Saini, J.P., Soto, G., Willer, H. (Eds.) (2017) Innovative Research for Organic 3.0 - Proceedings of the Scientific Track. Volume 1. Johann Heinrich von Thünen-​Institut, Braunschweig, 1, Thünen report, Nr. 54, S. 1-​511. Proceedings zu: Organic World Congress 2017, Delhi, India, 9-​11 November 2017.

Rahmann, G., Andres, C., Yadav, A.K., Ardakani, M.R., Babalad, H.B., Devakumar, N., Goel, S.L., Olowe, V., Ravisankar, N., Saini, J.P., Soto, G. Willer, H. (Eds.) (2017) Innovative Research for Organic 3.0 - Proceedings of the Scientific Track . Volume 2. Johann Heinrich von Thünen-​Institut, Braunschweig, 2, Thünen report, Nr. 54, S. 512-​808. Proceedings zu: Organic World Congress 2017, Delhi, India, 9-​11 November 2017.

Book chapters

Andres, C.*, AdeOluwa, O.O., Bhullar, G.S. (2017), Yam (Dioscorea spp.). In: Thomas, B., Murray, B. G. and Murphy, D. J. (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences, Vol 3, Waltham, MA: Academic Press, 2017, pp. 435–441.

Andres, C.*, Comoé, H., Beerli, A., Schneider, M., Rist, S., Jacobi, J. (2016) Cocoa in monoculture and dynamic agroforestry. In: Lichtfouse, E. (Ed.) Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 19, 121-​153, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.

Andres, C.*, Mandloi, L.S., Bhullar, G.S. (2015) Sustaining the supply of organic White Gold: The case of SysCom innovation platforms in India. In: Dror, I., Cadilhon, J.-J., Schut, M., Misiko. M., Maheshwari, S. (Eds.) Innovation Platforms for Agricultural Development: Evaluating the mature innovation platforms landscape. Routledge, London, UK.


Strategic documents

Niggli, U., Andres, C.*, Willer, H., Baker, B.P. (2017) A Global Vision and Strategy for Organic Farming Research – Condensed version. Version February, 2017, TIPI – Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland


*corresponding lead author