Neglected & Underutilized species

Join us on this day full of new insights, discussion and views on the role and potential of neglected and underutilized species for healthy and sustainable diets globally. This event will include presentations from key players throughout the food system, from leading researchers in seed systems, political economy, nutrition, biodiversity of diets, and ethnobotany to famous chefs and journalists. 

Free entrance after registration: 
Registration: link to form

Programme:

09:30 – 09:45 | Opening Remarks (Prof. Edith Feskens, Dean of Research, Wageningen University and Research)

09:45 – 10:30 | Keynote – Eating to Extinction: Why Biodiversity Matters (Dan Saladino – BBC Journalist & Author “Eating to Extinction”)

10:30 – 11:00 | Panel discussion - Getting NUS on the table: chefs’ perspective – (Wisdom Abiro – Chef Ghana Food Movement; Emile van der Staak – Chef ‘De Nieuwe Winkel’ with Wouter van Eck, Food Forest, The Netherlands)

11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee Break + tasting

11:30 – 11:50 | Cultural and economic politics of NUS – lessons from quinoa (Dr. Emma McDonell, University of Tennessee & Author "The Quinoa Bust: The Making and Unmaking of an Andean Miracle Crop") 

11:50 – 12:10 | Promotion of NUS: How to revitalize botanical and cultural heritage - Patrick Maundu – Ethnobotanist at National Museums of Kenya; 

12:10 – 12:30 | Synthesis speakers morning  

12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch

13:30 – 13:40 | Biodiversity of diets (Prof. Baukje de Roos – University of Aberdeen; Dr. Corné van Dooren, Wageningen University and Research)

14:00 – 15:00 | A healthy diets perspective from diverse agricultural production systems: Crops, Livestock & Fish (Dr. Mathieu Ayenan, World Vegetable Center, Benin; Dr. Wanjiku Gichohi, World Fish, Malaysia)

15.00 – 15:30 | Coffee Break

15:30 – 16:30 | Round-table discussions in break out rooms 

16:30 – 17:00 | Closing Keynote – A food systems perspective to NUS: opportunities and challenges (Dr. Mercy Lung'aho, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria)

17:00 – 18:30 | Drinks and bites 

Note: the program can be subject to changes, that we will update here on the website. 

Keynote speakers : 

• Dan Saladino, BBC journalist and author of “Eating to extinction” 
• Emile van der Staak, chef of Michelin star restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen, the Netherlands & Wouter van Eck, food forest pioneer
• Wisdom Abiro, Head chef at Ghana Food Movement, Ghana
• Dr. Mercy Lung’aho, Program Lead for Food Security, Nutrition and Health at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria
• Prof. Baukje de Roos, Chair of Nutrition, Health & Sustainable Food Systems of University of Aberdeen, U.K. 
• Dr. Patrick Maundu, ethnobotanist at the National Museums of Kenya (Kenya Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge – KENRIK), Kenya
• Dr. Wanjiku Gichohi, Public Health Nutritionist and Food Systems Researcher at World Fish, Malaysia
• Dr. Mathieu Ayenan, Associate Scientist – Vegetable Breeder, World Vegetable Center, Benin

Organized by:
Dr. Kim Maasen, Dr. Corné van Dooren, and Heleen Broekkamp
Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University

Dr. Siera Vercillo
Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University

We acknowledge the contribution of the Sector Plan TECH II of Wageningen University funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science.