Can you remember what you ate last week? In a Wageningen food lab, sensors register the size of your serving, what it contains and the number of times you chew. They can even see right through the bread to determine what is on top. Here, nutrition scientists study how smart…
Recently, a pig kidney was temporarily connected to a human, and the first transplants of pig hearts in cardiac patients are on the way. Can we justify keeping animals and genetically modifying them for organ harvesting? For example, donor pigs must live a sterile life and cannot behave naturally. Wageningen…
Our global food production is responsible for 33 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions and, as such, contributes significantly to the climate crisis. Food processors, suppliers and consumers could contribute to slowing climate change by, for example, choosing locally produced, plant-based products. Wageningen researchers are studying how climate-conscious options…
Update 2 February Approximately two-thirds of all textiles are produced from fossil resources and are ill-suited for recycling or repurposing due to their poor quality. Hence, Wageningen researchers are working on the development of sustainably produced reusable textiles that are made from natural resources that include fibres from agricultural waste…
The dairy industry is facing major challenges, among which the need to reduce greenhouse gases and nitrogen emissions. The cows at the Dairy Campus in Leeuwarden are monitored 24/7 by sensors, trackers and cameras. The animals generate data on nutrition, welfare, milk, grazing, biodiversity, manure and urine. Thanks to this…
Climate change calls for measures to make crops more resilient against drought, disease and plagues, to ensure the food supply is sufficient for the increasing global population. Wageningen scientists have discovered the basic principles behind the CRISPR-Cas technology, which enables the precise modification of crops. Wageningen University & Research will…
Contrary to popular opinion, the scientific quest for knowledge is not a predictable and well-defined process. To make new discoveries, researchers need the freedom to be creative, fail, and learn by chance. There is an overlap with art in that respect. This is why Wageningen scientists look to artists for…
Climate change is causing the Netherlands to experience prolonged periods of drought, heat waves, and heavy rainfall more frequently. Together with other research institutions, Wageningen researchers have created the Climate Impact Atlas, which shows the consequences your street or region is set to face in 2050. The atlas shows, for…
Plastic food packaging is difficult to recycle and often end up in the environment. Cardboard packaging is often treated with a water-resistant film, which may even contain the toxic substance PFAS. Wageningen researchers are developing water-resistant, biodegradable coating for cardboard, allowing it to be disposed of and recycled with paper. In this way, they contribute to a circular economy in which packaging materials and other products, such as clothing, can be safely reused.
Despite the efforts many farmers make to keep their meadows hospitable, pasture birds experience difficulties in the Netherlands. Wageningen researchers developed a method to determine what the birds need (such as whether or not to mow the grass) using drone images and self-learning image recognition software. Moreover, ecologists deploy drones…