Biodiversity-positive food systems (KB-44)

Biodiversity is declining globally at an unprecedented rate. Our current food systems contribute to this biodiversity loss, while this biodiversity loss at the same time undermines the underlying ecosystem services that are necessary for food systems. It is therefore essential to explore solutions that lead to food systems in which biodiversity is an intrinsic and indispensable component.

We explore this in the following three research lines (‘flagships’):

Breeding for diversity to broaden the genetic base of the food system
Scaling up promising biodiversity-positive practices
Post-harvest implications for diversity and variation in raw materials.

Within this theme, new WUR expertise and knowledge in the field of agriculture and the environment will be brought together in a systems approach for food systems that meet local and global objectives for food safety, biodiversity conservation and human well-being.