Seminar

Seminar: Diversity of crops, food and culture

Following up on the Harvest Festival in September with more ‘food for thought’, we would like to invite you to join us in a dialogue to discuss the diversity of food from around the world, in the Netherlands and on Wageningen Campus.

Organised by Biosystematics
Date

Mon 20 November 2023 13:00 to 17:30

Venue Omnia, building number 105
Hoge Steeg 2
105
6708 PH Wageningen
+31 (0) 317 - 484500

Together, many of us celebrated the harvest of different semi-tropical crops and enjoyed delicious dishes from cultural cuisines prepared with them during the Harvest Festival on September 20th. To dive further into the potential of tropical crops, we present a seminar focusing on two topics:

  • The expansion of biodiversity in our agricultural system
  • The importance of food and culture

We have invited several international speakers, looking at this complex topic from different perspectives and sharing insights from different angles. We want to open up the dialogue for what are the needs of people involved and how we, as the WUR community, can be of support in this? 

Our engaging talks and immersive exchange will leave you inspired, informed, and excited about the future of food!

Programme

Introduction

Title Presenter(s) Affiliation/department
What do we envision as a more diverse, sustainable and socially inclusive agricultural system? Eric Schranz & Martina Huber Hosts (WUR – Biosystematics)
What does a biodiversity-positive food system in a global setting mean locally? Jeanne Nel Programme lead Biodiverse Environment

The expansion of biodiversity in our agricultural system

Title Presenter(s) Affiliation/department
Intercropping for biodiversity-positive farming systems Erik Poelman & Dirk van Apeldoorn WUR - Entomology/WUR - Farming Systems Ecology
Exploring new crops that fit new demands Luisa Trindade WUR – Plant Breeding
The role of the gene bank in widening and conserving crop diversity Theo van Hintum Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands

Lessons from practice – grassroots initiatives and organisations

Title Presenter(s) Affiliation/department
Diversity in seeds and cultures – the case of “Het Kiemkollectief” Laura van Bellen DRIFT | founder of 'Het Kiemcollectief'
Creating urban agriculture with a diverse community – the case of Amsterdam Zuidoost Marcel Vijn & Jan Eelco Jansma WUR - Field crops

The importance of food and culture in making changes

Title Presenter(s) Affiliation/department
Integrated crop diversity conservation in a centre of origin – a perspective from the Andes Stef de Haan International Potato Center
Ethnobotany – the historical background to crop selection - the example of Suriname Tinde van Andel Naturalis Biodiversity Center/WUR - Biosystematics
The interrelations of Food, Cultures & Customs Oona Morrow WUR - Rural Sociology