Agroscope researchers are working with apple producers, NGOs such as the Swiss Ornithological Institute, the local canton and agri-food companies to create a living laboratory in central Valais, Switzerland. The Living Lab is established in permanent meadows integrated into apple orchard landscapes. These meadows are designated as Level II biodiversity zones under Swiss agricultural policy and are sown with highly diversified seed mixtures. Additionally, co-designed restoration measures such as high stems fruit and native trees, installing rock and deadwood piles, and establishing diversified hedges, have been implemented in collaboration with Vogelwarte, and other stakeholders. The case study area stretches along the Rhône valley in the central western Alps (between Sierre and Martigny). 

The landscape is a mosaic of urban settlements, orchards (mainly apple, pear and apricot trees), vineyards on sunny hillsides and smaller patches of meadows, forests and wetlands. The mountainous terrain features rocky outcrops, steep slopes, pastures, and an extensive network of small streams and lakes that provide habitat for a variety of species. The region has a continental climate with Mediterranean influences, characterised by cold winters and hot summers. Annual rainfall varies between 550 and 700 mm, falling mainly in spring and autumn, and the region benefits from high annual sunshine (51-60%). A notable altitude gradient affects temperatures, with warmer conditions near the Rhône and cooler conditions at higher altitudes.