Zweifel Wins the 2026 Promarca Brand Sustainability Award
With its pilot project «It All Starts in the Soil,» Zweifel is focusing on regenerative potato farming, an approach that impressed the expert jury of the 2026 Promarca Brand Sustainability Award. Barilla Switzerland and Groupe Minoteries tied for second place, while Oatly Switzerland took third place.
Nine projects submitted, one winner: Zweifel Chips & Snacks wins the 2026 Promarca Brand Sustainability Award with a six-year pilot project on regenerative potato farming. The independent panel of experts recognized a commitment that, for the first time in Swiss agriculture, practically combines soil conservation, biodiversity, and climate measurability.
«It All Starts with the Soil»—the winning project by Zweifel
Together with its partners Inoverde, fenaco, and AgroImpact, Zweifel is committed to regenerative potato farming and is making its climate impact measurable for the first time. The goal is to enhance soil fertility and biodiversity through minimal tillage, crop rotations, and cover crops. Participating growers receive a fixed climate premium for this, regardless of the price of the raw material. As early as 2025, 1,500 metric tons of potatoes came from this cultivation method. At the same time, Zweifel is working with Florin to reduce emissions in the canola oil supply chain—with the goal of achieving net-zero by 2050.
CEO Christoph Zweifel explains the company’s commitment: «Swiss potatoes will continue to be of central importance to us in the future. That is why we are committed to farming methods that preserve fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and make agriculture more resilient to climate change. The Promarca Brand Sustainability Award encourages us to continue on this path and to invest together in a sustainable Swiss agriculture.»
Second place (tied): Barilla Switzerland and Groupe Minoteries
Barilla Switzerland and Groupe Minoteries share second place. Barilla relies on long-term direct contracts and fair premiums for its basil growers, thereby fostering reliable partnerships throughout the supply chain. In addition, a QR code on the pesto jar enables full traceability of the origin and harvest date—a concrete step toward greater transparency for consumers.
Groupe Minoteries is making previously unused byproducts, such as brewer’s grains and wheat bran, suitable for food production. This results in baking ingredients suitable for industrial use that replace up to 12 percent of conventional raw materials, improve nutritional value, and conserve resources. According to Promarca, the project serves as an exemplary demonstration of how a circular economy can be implemented in practice along existing value chains.
Third Place: Oatly Switzerland – Sustainability as a Corporate Strategy
Oatly Switzerland ranks third. According to a press release, the company’s approach combines concrete measures along the value chain with long-term climate goals and makes sustainability an integral part of corporate and supply chain management.
Promarca Brand Sustainability Award: Making Commitment Visible
Promarca, the Swiss Association for Branded Goods, presents the Promarca Brand Sustainability Award annually to projects, products, concepts, or companies that develop innovative and practical solutions in the field of sustainability. An independent jury of experts selects the three best projects from all the submissions. According to the association, the jury consists of recognized experts in their fields: Babette Sigg Frank (President of Konsumentenforum), Carina Porot (Global Sustainability Lead, IWC Schaffhausen), Katrin Muff (Director of the Institute for Business Sustainability, IBS), Marco Grossmann (circular economy expert), and Stephan Hirschi (sustainability expert).
Barbara Castegnaro, Director of Promarca, comments: «Brands thrive on trust, and trust is built when companies take responsibility before anyone requires them to. The nine projects submitted show that our members don’t just manage their supply chains—they are constantly reshaping them to ensure responsible use of resources.»
Promarca has 104 member companies that represent more than 2,150 brands and support approximately 30,000 jobs in Switzerland. With total revenue of 14.5 billion Swiss francs in 2025, the association recorded an increase of 0.3 billion francs compared to the previous year.
For more information about the Promarca Brand Sustainability Award and the association, visit https://www.promarca.ch.
