This is part 9 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Bart de Steenhuijsen Piters, Emma Termeer, Deborah Bakker, Hubert Fonteijn and Herman Brouwer. The COVID-19 crisis is just one in a series of shocks and stressors that exemplify the importance of building resilient food systems. The global…
This is part 8 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Lotte Caarls, Maria Groot and Marjolein Sterk. As the world seeks to build back from the current COVID-crisis, it is critical to preserve biodiversity and to invest more in Nature-based Solutions. Since all life…
This is part 7 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Thijs de Lange, Vincent Linderhof and Stijn Reinhard. In areas with poor water quality, often in the global South, the promotion of nutrient-rich diets with perishable foods like fruits, vegetables and fish, can deteriorate…
This is part 6 of a blog series on food systems. Simply put, if it isn’t safe, it isn’t food. Food security goes hand in hand with food safety. That is why a ‘safe-by-design’ check should be part of every programme aimed at increasing food security. We tend to take…
This is part 5 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Huib Hengsdijk. The population of East Africa is expected to have doubled by the year 2050. The growth is even more rapid in rural areas, many of which already face challenges in providing sufficient…
This is part 4 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Christian Siderius (pictured above), researcher at Uncharted Waters Research in Australia, and Hester Biemans, researcher at Wageningen University & Research. To feed 9 billion people while remaining within critical planetary boundaries, our farmers need…
This is part 3 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga. Deltas world-wide are increasingly under pressure. They form a dynamic link between land and water, fresh and saline environments, connecting the natural environment with production systems organized by human intervention….
This is part 2 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Dolfi Debrot. By nature, deltas offer enormous wealth. Intensive use has destroyed many deltas. This has resulted – especially in the (sub)tropics – in many problems such as flooding, salinisation, sinking and washing away…
This is part 1 of a blog series on food systems. This article was written by Katrine Soma and Siemen van Berkum. Developing countries are urbanising rapidly. Many urban dwellers are poor and have to deal with malnutrition and limited access to healthy food. How can their food security be…
How to stimulate large groups of people to make healthier and more sustainable food choices? As a scientist, I find this question intriguing. The focus of attention is not on the individual consumer’s behaviour, but on the food system this consumer is part of. This system provides the context in…