DIPLOMACY IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Our office is based in Geneva, the city of diplomacy. So we learn every day and keep developing our social and diplomatic skills. But beyond our location, the real reason why we place special emphasis on diplomacy goes deeper. In our experience, projects rarely succeed or fail on technical questions alone. What often makes the difference is how people work together: open and respectful communication, the right partners and trust that grows over time.

With our clients, we listen carefully, take different perspectives seriously and speak openly, including when questions are difficult.

And we bring the same approach to your projects (see also: Effective Collaboration). We help you choose suitable partners, build trust with communities, authorities, donors and implementing organisations, and handle different interests constructively. This gives your project a solid foundation to succeed.

HOLISTIC PROJECT EVALUATION & MANAGEMENT

Edhen applies an integrated approach to the evaluation and development process. This is especially valuable when ecological, social and economic dimensions need to be considered together.

Edhen has successfully applied this holistic approach in agriculture, education, social initiatives and health-related projects. It offers several applications and benefits:

• Depending on your particular needs, we deliver internal evaluations for your organisation or independent external evaluations.
• Together, we first assess what has worked, what has not and why. With these insights, we then develop an adapted strategy to make sure that you reach your desired objectives.
• Depending on the scope of the assignment, holistic evaluations are also the first step in our general consulting process.

SCIENCE-BASED PERMACULTURE

Permaculture provides a holistic framework for our regenerative development and design. Its principles reach beyond agriculture and can also guide projects, organisations and businesses.

We combine permaculture with agroforestry, scientific evidence and practical experience. We look at how natural, built and socio-economic factors interact. In order to develop solutions that fit local conditions, such as climate-resilient food, water and energy systems. We apply this integrated approach internationally, because it can benefit both:

• Global North: moving towards regenerative design and a smaller footprint.
• Global South: restoring land, increasing self-reliance and food security.

HOLISTIC FARM EVALUATION

In agricultural projects, we apply suitable evaluation tools, such as RISE (Response-Inducing Sustainability Evaluation). The method was developed at the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH-HAFL). RISE analyses the agro-ecological, economic and social sustainability of farms, using 48 indicators.

Edhen consultants have used RISE in various European and African countries, for both consultancy and education. In collaboration with the excellent RISE team at HAFL.

• To support farmers in developing the full potential of their farms in a regenerative way. 
• This is also key for sustainable value chains, to make them economically viable, socially equitable, and environmentally friendly.
• Depending on the scope of the assignment, holistic farm evaluations are also the first step in our agricultural consulting process.

AGROFORESTRY

We support your agroforestry projects, from the first idea to lasting results. Agroforestry is Edhen's main area of agricultural expertise. We support the co-development of locally adapted systems that integrate trees with crops and, where suitable, livestock.

Agroforestry systems can improve farm productivity, profitability, soil health, biodiversity, carbon storage and climate resilience. They combine ecological regeneration with productive and economically viable land use. This makes agroforestry key to addressing today's agricultural and climate challenges.

Edhen has broad experience in supporting agroforestry in European and African countries, from contributing to its development in Switzerland to projects in East-Africa.

We would be happy to also support your agroforestry projects. For the local implementation and long-term monitoring, we work with local agroforestry experts. For example, in East Africa, we collaborate with the design leads of ForestFoods, who developed agroforestry model farms in Kenya (see photo).