Longreads Wageningen University & Research
-
Sustainable and yet highly productive agriculture
31 March 2023 - Longread - The Netherlands is committed to developing a sustainable and highly productive food system, with less use of fertilisers, water and pesticides, and more biodiversity and crop diversity. To help achieve this goal, WUR is conducting research into ecological arable farming systems based on strip cropping and mixed cropping. -
Deltas are under pressure
15 March 2023 - Longread - Climate change and sea level rises are putting delta areas such as Vietnam and Bangladesh under pressure. WUR is helping to make deltas future proof, for instance through what is known as the Food Systems Approach, which helps policymakers understand all the local factors and interests involved. -
Blockchain for agri-food: on the road to scale-up
15 March 2023 - Longread - The potential of blockchain for agri-food has been a frequent topic of discussion in scientific literature and the media since 2017. In recent years, the number of scientific and professional articles on this topic has continued to grow. What are the most recent developments in the realm of blockchain applications? What opportunities and challenges does the technology present to the agri-food sector in the Netherlands? And what would help blockchain applications grow and accelerate? This longread takes a realistic look at the current landscape, best practices and key problems, and considers how blockchain could be scaled up in future. -
Why seagrass needs space
01 March 2023 - Longread - Seagrass: green leaves swaying in the currents. Fish weave their way through, and sea turtles graze. They’re always on their guard, watching out for any encroaching sharks. The seagrass’ roots are hidden in the seabed, where they anchor the sand, securing the coastline. The best-kept secret is the amount of carbon these plants store: even more than trees do. But seagrasses are facing a barrage of threats. We urgently need to protect them, and enable the rewilding of the sea. -
Working together on high-tech innovations for major social challenges
31 January 2023 - Longread - The application of emerging chip and digital technology will be the key to achieving a healthy and sustainable society, according to the OnePlanet Research Center, founded in 2019. This innovation hub brings together researchers from imec, Wageningen University & Research, Radboud University and Radboudumc. In collaboration with the private sector, they’re working on game-changing innovations to help solve major social challenges related to the climate, sustainability and preventative health. Three years on from its launch, what’s the secret behind the success of the initiative? -
Game viewing in white enclaves
19 January 2023 - Longread - The wildlife economy is flourishing in South Africa; tourists enjoy gameviewing in wildlife parks while more and more people are living on luxury ‘wildlife estates’. These are in effect White enclaves from which Black people are excluded, notes sociology professor Bram Büscher. -
Bottom of the class for water quality
02 January 2023 - Longread - The Netherlands has the worst water quality of all EU member states: only one per cent of our waters are assessed as ‘good’. So we are unlikely to fulfil the European Water Framework Directive in time. “In this watery country, we’re going to have to get firmer with farmers, the general public and industry alike.” -
Wind farm or nature reserve?
28 December 2022 - Longread - The intention is that by 2050, the North Sea will be Europe’s green power station. That will require ten times as many wind farms as there are today. Research is aimed at revealing what all those turbines will do to the ecology of the nature reserve. ‘What makes it a bit worrying is the fact that construction of the wind farms is already in full swing.’ -
Animal welfare and the market: we need to measure
15 December 2022 - Longread - In this longread, we look at how the animal welfare market has developed in the Netherlands and what the market drivers are. We also call for animal-based measures as a way of raising standards of animal welfare in the Netherlands. -
How livestock farming can contribute to biodiversity
29 November 2022 - Longread - In the nitrogen discussions, much is said about the relationship between livestock farmers and nature. Biodiversity is under pressure in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. The number of species and room for nature is in rapid decline, according to recent data and reports from international organisations such as the FAO and IPBES. Agriculture and livestock farming are frequently named as being responsible for biodiversity loss, but they could also contribute to its preservation. Biodiversity is an integral part of the livestock farming system.