Research & Results
Our mission is ‘to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.’ Our knowledge supports government, the trade and industry sector and civil society in facing their challenges. We achieve synergy by combining education with fundamental and applied research.
Focus WUR-research
The focus and direction of our research are mapped out in a 4-year Strategic Plan. For the period 2019-2022 WUR has identified five scientific research programmes and three investment programmes.
More on scientific research and investment programmes
Societal fields of interest / Research themes
Based on our mission, we offer knowledge and expertise in the fields of climate, biodiversity, food production, healthy and safe nutrition and circular economy. We aim to share this knowledge with society at large in an understandable way, online through stories, news, video and MOOCs, and offline by means of events such as tedtalks, dialogues and so on.
Read and learn more about developments in our living environment:
Climate change
Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Although a global problem, the causes and solutions of climate change are often local. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) explores the impacts on society and ecosystems, and develop evidence-based, integrated solutions and technology: the Wageningen Climate Solutions.
Circular & Biobased Economy
The call for a circular, biobased economy is getting louder and louder. An increasing number of citizens, businesses, and politicians are realising that the reuse of products and reclaiming of natural resources is of great importance for ourselves and for the planet on which we live, if we want to move forward towards a sustainable future. Wageningen University & Research is working on solutions to make the circular, biobased economy a reality.
Nutrition & Health
You are what you eat. It’s a saying with lots of meaning, because to a large extent our nutrition determines our health.
From hunger to food security
The world’s population is increasing quickly, and it is predicted to grow to almost 10 billion people in 2050. In about thirty years the earth will gain 2 billion extra inhabitants who will also have to live, work and eat. Fortunately, our prosperity is also predicted to increase, which means that diets will be subject to change.
Biodiversity
The human race is directly and indirectly dependent on biodiversity. In addition to our food, the vast majority of our building materials, medicines and industrial raw materials are of biological origin. The economic and social value of biodiversity is enormous. At least 40% of the world economy depends on natural resources, while 80% of the world’s poorest people rely on these resources to meet their basic needs. But global biodiversity is under great pressure. According to some biologists, we are currently in the middle of a sixth wave of extinction, and the first to be caused by man.