Crowdthinking Campaign: Achieving a Sustainable Food System

We have to do it together, especially when it comes to the major changes that are needed to achieve a sustainable food system. That is the idea behind the ‘crowdthinking’ campaign, which will be launched next Monday during the international symposium ‘The Environmental Impact of Food Systems’ at Wageningen University & Research (WUR).

Crowdthinking

Initiator of the symposium and WUR researcher Hannah van Zanten: ‘With our crowdthink campaign – thinking together about sustainable solutions – we want to know what is being asked from the business community and society during and after the symposium. We will process this in a research proposal so that we can hopefully work with actors on the transition to a sustainable food system in the coming years.’

Healthy food with respect for the planet

The symposium will take place on Monday 12 June at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and will be opened by Sjoukje Heimovaraa (chair of WUR). Presenter Harm Edens is the moderator.

Hannah van Zanten, also project leader of the Circular Food Systems research team: ‘Our research shows that we can produce healthy food with respect for the planet. The question is: how do we get there? It is therefore important that we talk to each other. Redesigning the food system together and creating transition paths so that we work towards our goals.

For this we have to make difficult choices about, for example, fewer animals, different consumption, but we certainly have to look not only at what can no longer be done, but also at what can be done and work together on perspectives.’

Plan

Those conversations about the transition to a sustainable food system are already taking place during the symposium. Renowned scientists give their vision of the current and future food system. They are Hannah van Zanten (WUR), Michael Clark (University of Oxford), Anita Frehner (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL), Benjamin Bodirsky (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)), Friederike Ziegler (RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB), Tara Garnett (University of Oxford).

After the scientists have told about their research, it is time to enter into a dialogue with the public with the aim of formulating a science agenda. Harm Edens will talk to a panel consisting of various companies, including Lidl, Rabobank and De Vegetarische Slager.

Bron: WUR