Mansholt lecture

The fifth edition of the Mansholt lecture discussed the options and challenges for stakeholders in the transition towards a sustainable digital innovation ecosystem.“We don’t need more apps. We need a system”. This short quote of a farmer reflects the high degree of fragmentation and discontinuity in innovation processes we observe. More focus on the user readiness of technologies and support by multi-actor ecosystems is required, in which innovations are embedded in a system approach and tested in living labs. These are important pathways towards a sustainable digital innovation ecosystem and to navigate through the Twilight Zone.

- Unfortunately, your cookie settings do not allow videos to be displayed. - check your settings

The fourth edition of the Mansholt lecture focusses on the future of proteins, reflecting on the challenges and discussing policy recommendations. As part of the transition to a fully biobased economy, WUR calls for a new focus on production and consumption. We envision a future in which protein production will need to be sustainable, affordable and healthy. Purposeful combinations of plants, animals, and microorganisms from land and sea will be tailored to local conditions, even where resources are scarce. Europe needs to consider creating a European policy on protein transition.

Missed the lecture? Watch it again on Twitter:

• Part 1
• Part 2

Download the brochure: Chickpeas, crickets and chlorella: our future proteins

Would you prefer to receive the brochure as a hard copy?

Request a hard copy of the publication

The key challenge is to secure a sustainable and healthy nutrition security within the capacity of planet earth and human society. A paradigm shift from optimization in production towards optimization in resource use. Europe’s future lies not in a linear but in a circular food system with an integrated use of regenerative natural resources and associated agro-biomass.

During the 2018 Mansholt Lecture Wageningen University & Research presented the overall framework as well as the scientific basis for the transition towards a circular food system in Europe.

Download

• “Circularity in agricultural production” by prof Imke J.M. de Boer and prof Martin K. van Ittersum

President of the Executive Board of Wageningen University & Research, Prof. dr. Louise O. Fresco gave a keynote speech and two documents were presented:

• The policy document ‘Food transition 2030' focuses on the challenge to achieve the transitions to a sustainable, affordable, trustworthy and high-quality food system in the next decade or two that will fulfil the needs of a diverse and growing world population.

  • Download Policy document ‘Food transition 2030'

• The policy document ‘Towards a European Food and Nutrition policy’examines current policies and practices before diving into the question how innovation can support a change towards better diets.

  • Download policy document ‘Towards a European Food and Nutrition policy’

A forum with international experts discussed both documents.

The first Mansholt lecture was organised in September 2016 with the title ‘Towards a Common Agricultural and Food Policy’. This lecure emphasized the need to involve all stakeholders into a broader common agriculture & food policy. This in order to cope with five major challenges: food and nutrition security & safety, climate change & water and energy use, ecological impacts, healthy diet for a lifelong healthy lifestyle, and inequality.