Wageningen Social & Economic Research

Older man buys vegetables at a local market stall.

Let's work together

Wageningen Social & Economic Research contributes to policies that work, food chains that are sustainable and fair, and rural and urban areas that remain liveable. We help policymakers and decision-makers in the agri-food sector promote the transformation to a fair and equitable food system.

Let's work together

Our locations

Visiting addresses

Regional offices

Location Lelystad

All offices of the Dutch Farm Sustainability Data Network can be found here

About Wageningen Social & Economic Research

Food systems need fundamental change. Real change requires understanding how actors within these systems think, choose and act, and what trade-offs they make. By sharing that knowledge and strengthening dialogue, we can build resilient and inclusive food systems together.

From an independent and accountable position, we draw on more than 85 years of experience to develop evidence-based scenarios, assess impacts and propose incentives for change.

With a proven track record, we specialise in policy analysis, impact evaluations, scenario development, market research, value chain research, consumer behaviour and system transformation analysis. These insights support informed decision-making.

Action-oriented knowledge and capacity building
In-depth knowledge of agriculture, food systems and related sectors
Expertise in data, economic models, human behaviour and system transformation
Transition pathways toward fair and equitable systems, developed with partners
More than 85 years of experience

Wageningen Social & Economic Research works with various partners worldwide, including international organisations, governments, NGOs, research institutes and agri-food companies in more than 60 countries.

In addition, Wageningen Social & Economic Research has been collecting economic and sustainability data from nearly 1,800 Dutch agricultural, horticultural, fishing and forestry companies since 1965. Together, they form a representative sample of the Dutch sector: Farm Sustainability Data Network.

Wageningen Social & Economic Research has its origins in the Agricultural Economic Institute (LEI), which was founded by agricultural organisations in the late 1930s. Its purpose was to collect and analyse data that could serve as a basis for agricultural policy. In 1998, LEI became part of Wageningen University & Research, where it joined forces with the Department of Social Sciences to form the Social Sciences Group.

In 2016, the institute was renamed Wageningen Economic Research. This name change was part of a unified brand strategy of Wageningen University & Research, in which all research institutes started operating under the same recognisable brand name.

The Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation was founded in 1951 as the International Agricultural Centre (IAC), with the aim of promoting international cooperation in agriculture and rural development. In 2009, the name changed to Centre for Development Innovation, shifting its focus to knowledge development, innovation and capacity building in an international context. In 2016, the name was expanded to include 'Wageningen' to emphasise its affiliation with Wageningen University & Research.

In January 2025, Wageningen Economic Research and Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation merged under the name Wageningen Social & Economic Research. This merger combines decades of expertise in social & economic research, international cooperation and innovation, creating one strong institute that takes an integrated approach to issues surrounding food, agriculture, living environment and society.

AMS institute
AMS Institute is an internationally leading institute where talent is educated and engineers, designers, and both natural and social scientists jointly develop and valorise integrated metropolitan solutions. The mission of AMS Institute is to develop a deep understanding of the city – sense the city – to design solutions for its challenges, and integrate these into the city of Amsterdam. This is done through three main activities: education, research & valorisation, and data. Together with Delft University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Wageningen University & Research is the academic heart of AMS Institute. We closely collaborate on research assignments, education opportunities and establishing a data platform.

National Manure Policy Monitoring Network
Wageningen Social & Economic Research, together with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), monitors for the government the effects of the manure policy on farm management and water quality.