“If you want to deal with the global food problem, you have to dare to talk to people from other fields"

The food research conducted at Utrecht University has earned an important position at the European level. Together with 49 international partners from the Benelux, Italy, Scandinavia, France and Spain, Future Food Utrecht is a co-applicant for FoodNexus, a prestigious European grant that is intended to guarantee the future of the European food business community.

“See, that’s the spirit!” With a wide grin, Prof. Rens Voesenek, one of the leaders of the focus area Future Food Utrecht (FFU), hangs up the telephone in his office in the Kruyt building. He has just been informed that Prof. Stephanie Rosenkranz has rescheduled her flight to be able to attend an important meeting. “I love that,” says Voesenek, “people who are that enthusiastic.” Voesenek has just returned from Dublin, where he represented FFU in making contacts for FoodNexus. “The world’s food problem is so massive,” Voesenek explains, “that we have to combine all of our efforts.”

Nine billion mouths

By ‘immense problem’, he means the world’s growing population and the changing climate. “By 2050, we’ll have more than nine billion mouths to feed, and to do that we’ll have to increase our agricultural production by 70%. But the climate is beginning to become more extreme, and our crops aren’t able to deal with that yet. So it’s vital that we find solutions to those problems.”

Future Food Utrecht has been working on those solutions for two years now, but in order to make a real difference it will have to earn a serious position at the European level. In order to achieve that goal, FFU is currently drafting a grant application for the prestigious FoodNexus grant as part of a consortium with 49 international partners. In the Benelux, several major organisations are working on the proposal, such as Unilever, FrieslandCampina, Heineken, Cargill and the universities of Wageningen, Utrecht and Maastricht. In the 50-page FoodNexus document, the partners explain how they hope to make a difference in Europe in the field of food security and sustainability, food quality and the influence of food on public health. 

Focus on consumer

“What makes us strong as a partner is the cross-pollination between knowledge institutions and the industry”, explains Voesenek. “In contrast to what many may think, UU is not in competition with Wageningen UR; we actually complement one another. That unique cooperation between Utrecht and Wageningen ensures that FoodNexus (‘nexus’ is the Latin word for ‘connection’) gives us a good chance of being awarded the grant.”

FoodNexus not only focuses on the global food problem, but also on the consumer. “Over the past few years, there have been several scandals involving food quality. The contents don’t correspond to the label, and what’s sold as beef turns out to be horse meat. Consumers feel ripped off, and they’re right. With FoodNexus, we hope to reinforce the cooperation within the European food sector and ensure that the consumer can re-gain their confidence in their food.”

Different perspectives

If the EU approves FoodNexus, over the next few years Utrecht University will be able to set the course for innovations in food production and applications in Europe. “And that’s only right, because we’re damned good at it,” says Voesenek.

“Where Wageningen is strong in the field of food technology - packaging materials and preservability - Utrecht conducts outstanding research into the role of food within the social sciences and medicine. Take early life nutrition, for example: how can you influence human health at an early phase through food, instead of just using medication? How can you prevent new products from resulting in allergic reactions? How can you influence peoples’ buying habits, so that they put healthier products in their shopping carts? Linguists also have a role to play: which texts on labels are best at reaching the consumer? And finally, plant scientists are working together with businesses to develop climate-resistant crops. Utrecht can provide a decisive contribution from all of those perspectives.”

Leaders of the future

FFU is not only working on Europe-wide activities. They are also busy closer to home, training the ‘leaders of the future’ in Voesenek’s words. At the moment, FFU is developing a course curriculum to train students to look beyond the borders of their own field of study. “If you want to deal with the global food problem, you have to dare to talk to people from other fields,” Voesenek emphasises. “And Utrecht has a role to play in training people to see that as second-nature.”

Voesenek is clearly enthusiastic, fanatical and convinced of the importance of FoodNexus. And he shares that enthusiasm with the other leaders of FFU, Prof. Denise de Ridder and Prof. Marca Wauben. “It’s fantastic being able to work with such inspiring scientists and support staff. Like Stephanie, who doesn’t hesitate to book a different flight to be at such an important meeting. And Denise, who is inventorying our food habits in a fantastic way. And then there’s Marca, who conducts ground-breaking research in order to better understand how mother’s milk differs from artificial milk. We’ll definitely get the grant, I’m sure of it. Because we’re all doing our absolute best.”

FoodNexus will hear if it has been awarded the grant in November 2016.