Partnerships - Workshops

Over the last 20 years the digital game as a medium in entertainment, popular culture, but also as an academic field of study has increasingly received attention. Digital games in the commercial entertainment industry are very successful as we can tell from recordbreaking sales and many online multiplayer environments. This is going hand in hand with an increase of research into their effects and relevance – as well as into applications of serious gaming in for the development of alternative scenario’s, in order to improve public understanding of complicated technological issues, but also for more adaptive Theme 4: Overview workshops/page 2 governance and decision making. In this workshop we aim to experiment with a game designed by the Royal Danish Academy about sustainable food production (see below for an impression of parameters and the game which is now about sustainable food production). In preparation of the workshop we will adapt the parameters for the game with knowledge from Wageningen researchers about circular agriculture from several different disciplinary perspectives. This will be done in collaboration with the flagships and the wildcards). In addition we will collaborate with stakeholders from society (for example the 34 initiatives from flagship3) to test and improve the game. Hence, the circular food game will be prototyped and is a boundary object that enables (1) integration of knowledge in an interdisciplinary setting; (2) and a way of engaging with society and develop the game and knowledge in a form of cocreation (3) it may serve as a way for knowledge valorization. At the conference Circularity@Wur we will organize a workshop to test and further improve the game as a way for knowledge diffusion, and make it available to a broader public. In parallel with this workshop, we will organize a panel session with academics about serious gaming, gamification and influential visualizations in a transition to a circular biobased economy.

Realizing circularity in our bio-based and food systems will require changes in all layers of our supply and consumption chain, including the different stakeholders along this chain. As envisioned by SDG 17, effective multi-stakeholder partnerships should be encouraged. The transition towards a circular bio-based society will demand innovative governance arrangements influencing multiple stakeholders to realize transformative changes. When replacing linear with circular systems, stakeholders need to find new ways of cooperation. This includes changing traditional supply chain roles towards more circular arrangements, where the supplier could also obtain the role of the consumer. Moreover, radical circular initiatives clash with the current ways of thinking, organizing and doing. In a successful transition, such initiatives become part of a new circular system and thus need to fulfil new roles without losing their radical core values. The various types of resulting conflicts require tailored governance and innovative rule systems to realize a circular, bio-based economy. Hence, the workshop aims to understand how such new, innovative governance structures in a circular system could look like. And more concretely, what should be the 'output' of these arrangements, for example: allocations of resource value, supply flows, new contract forms, new ways of settling conflicts, or organizing through cooperatives. The workshop will start with participant introductions and an icebreaker activity, followed by an introductory presentation of the workshop aims, objectives and some examples of new partnerships. Groups will further discuss the design of circular governance structures. Finally, by bringing scholars and practitioners from the bio-based and food sectors thinking together, the workshop will promote networking opportunities and mutual learning experiences, as well as inspiring concrete examples on how new circular governance structures can work in the transition towards a circular bio-based society.

We want to organize an interactive workshop on these questions, for researchers and practitioners. In this workshop we will have some short presentations and we will discuss conditions, approaches and the removal of barriers.

Contributions organized by:

Dr. Katrine Soma (case Nyera-Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya), Lotte Roosendaal MSc (case Dhaka, Bangladesh), Katherine Pittore Msc (case Kampala, Uganda), Dr. Sabine O’Hara (case Washington), Dr. Hilke Bos Brouwers (case Amsterdam)

The urgency: Resilient food economies worldwide

Our cities need robust and sustainable food systems which can secure enough healthy food for everyone. To develop and sustain healthy and resilient urban food systems, improved understanding is needed; not only about the value chains, but also about the interaction with the environmental and socio-economic dimensions. Circular, bio-based and climate smart solutions to urgent challenges will depend on local co-creation strategies and appropriate governing locally, to move forward in transition towards a highly resilient society.

Our cities need robust and sustainable food systems which can secure enough healthy food for everyone. To develop and sustain healthy and resilient urban food systems, improved understanding is needed; not only about the value chains, but also about the Theme 4: Overview workshops/page 4 interaction with the environmental and socio-economic dimensions. Circular, bio-based and climate smart solutions to urgent challenges will depend on local co-creation strategies and appropriate governing locally, to move forward in transition towards a highly resilient society.

We are convinced a food system approach, based on systems thinking can be the driver towards circular food economies in cities. A food system approach that considers the different dimensions and the complex context specific interaction, appealing shared narratives and a strong governance and participatory approach, is the basis for pathways towards systemic changes and targeted interventions at different scales and across sectors. Pathways to a food secure, sustainable and -last but not least- circular food future.

Aims of the workshop: In this workshop we would like to explore the way forward in different projects: Washington DC (USA) -a food system vision departing from Urban Food Hubs, Amsterdam (Netherlands) -building an agri-food system based circularity by design and Kampala (Uganda), Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Nairobi (Kenya). The projects will present stories about unravelling and strategizing urban-rural food systems considering rural urban linkages and migration.

The stories will concentrate on different subjects:

1. Rural and regional transformation, by means of urban-rural economies, regional circular systems, regional value chains, etc.
2. Informal settlements and migrant cities and their need for sustainable food systems.
3. Governance in rural-urban food system settings, involving the public and private actors, and community networks and other informal players.
4. Availability of nutritious food in urban contexts, based on urban-rural linkages with circularity in food waste, food fortification, and with social embedding of technological solutions.

After the presentations we will work in groups and discuss pathways to a food secure, sustainable and circular food future. We focus on insights and learnings from these projects and implications for designing Future Food System projects. This will increase participants’ understanding of what defines the food system approach and why & how it works (or: can work) within different contexts.

In thinking about circular fashion most attention is devoted to the acquisition of clothing, but much less so to the wearing, storage, maintenance and disposal of clothing. The attention towards the acquisition of clothing tends to focus on a single item, without looking at possible coherence in a wardrobe as whole. Publicity, influencers, fashion shows all focus on influencing the buying decision. Even fashion museums focus on single items, quite in contrast to ethnologic musea that try to understand the dress code and the wardrobe. However one wonders whether the utilisation of clothing has an effect on buying decisions. Hence understanding wearing and washing might be of interest to understand how to reduce the environmental impact of the clothing industry. The key might be in creating an affective bond between a person and an item, so as to quote Gandhi “one wears with love something made with love”. It is thus important what forges affective bonds between person and goods: in terms of technologies used and in immaterial values. Also of relevance is whether that bond is created through an investment, or can also be created by other types of transactions, like renting or leasing, swapping or borrowing clothing. The act of maintenance: storing, washing and repairing is possibly also of relevance. The workshop aims to explore with practitioners in textile design, fashion design, retailers, actors in the sharing, swapping and renting of clothing and actors in textile care and services strategies of consumers and strategies to interact and intervene in consumer choices.

In the Netherlands soil and land are under pressure. Societal challenges and the need for transitions increase this pressure with claims on space and soil ecosystem services, while the landscape and eco- and geosystem services already suffer severe degradation. Soils and land are essential for welfare and wellbeing. Therefore circular use of soils and land are essential.

It’s already more than 6 years ago that the Sustainable Development Goals were published. For SDG 15, life on land, only small progression is made. It’s time for a change. How to speed up? We still have a lot of questions to answer and solutions to find: ‘despite our soil protection policy degradation continues; do we need enforcement or other measures?’ ‘What do we need to connect farmers, nature conservators and civilians to find solutions to pay for carbon’ ‘how do we sustainably urbanize and at the same time realize circular land use and no net land take?’ ‘how can we diminish our footprint?’ ‘can or does only the land owner decide how land should be managed?’…

Dutch stakeholders from public and private sectors, the knowledge community and NGOs, got together and drew up a Manifest accompanied by a ‘living action program’ with actions and agreements to give a boost to achieving SDG 15.3 and thus to achieving a lot of the societal goals.

Main core of the agenda is: ‘embrace the natural system, give soils a voice, appoint an ambassador and connect networks’. This is part of area development in urban and rural regions.

We want to share ideas, practices and knowledge gaps and we want to explore if this approach can be up-scaled to an international level.

The aims of this session are:

• share information on the process towards TerrAgenda
• exchange ideas and good practices on ways to come to land degradation neutrality (LDN)
• Identify knowledge gaps and policy hiccups to achieve LDN
• Identify manners to give soils a voice in decision making and activities
• exchange practices in rural and urbanized areas

Set up
Introduction to the TerrAgenda by Co Molenaar and Margot de Cleen
Pitch by one of the soil ambassadors of the TerrAgenda
Breakout sessions

Join us in exploring opportunities of circular food systems around the world! In circular food systems losses of raw materials in the production of biomass are kept to a minimum by pursuing a closed-loop in which all produced biomass is utilised to a maximum extent. The benefits resulting from circular food systems go beyond nutrient recycling and food security, and may also include  mitigation of GHG-emissions, increased biodiversity, and development of opportunities for ecosystem services. The opportunities, benefits and challenges of CFS differ per global region

The Circular Food Systems network has been investigating opportunities of circular food systems across different regions worldwide. This interactive working session will focus on CFS in specific regions. The participants will dive into a case and explore what opportunities of CFS are, what benefits it could bring to the food system, what challenges need to be overcome. Using the Circularity Assessment Model, participants will increase understanding of the different facets and implications of circular food systems. The outcomes will be taken into account in the network’s activities and future research. 

Target participants: policy-makers, ngo’s,  researchers with an interest in circularity

Demand for greater sustainability in food systems has led to increased debate on the potential for circular flows of material, information and finances. With increased circularity, it is assumed, can support more effective use of land, water and energy, carbon that can in turn lead to positive environmental and social outcomes in the production, trade and consumption of food both locally and globally. But while innovation in shaping circular material flows remain essential, so too are changes to the behaviour of social actors making up these food systems. In order for circular ambitions to be achieved new approaches for governing the practices of social actors are therefore needed throughout food systems. The five papers in this panel explore three key aspects of governing behavioural change for circular food systems. First, whose definition and understanding of circularity is reflected in the formulation of food system policy? Second, to what extent do these different perspectives reflect and/or shape the behaviour of different food system practitioners? And third, what consequences do circular policies and practices affect inclusive and equitable transformation of food systems? Based on these questions the panel will discuss the potential for shaping circular innovation in different countries and context from around the globe.

Paneldiscussion with:

Roger Cremades, WUR/SSG, roger.cremades@wur.nl
The role of cities in circular food systems: really closing the loop

Jose Lopez, WUR/SSG, josedavid.lopezrivas@wur.nl
Learning from the Global South: different perspectives on Circular Food systems

Stephanie Begemann, WUR/SSG, stephanie.begemann@wur.nl
Mission oriented agricultural innovation systems for circular food systems

Serena Stein, WUR/SSG, serena.stein@wur.nl
Tackling Crises in the Countryside: An Integrative Approach to Regenerative Agriculture, Circular Agri-Food Systems, and Convivial Conservation

Daniel Polman, WUR/SSG, daniel.polman@wur.nl
Governance and Practices of Circular Food Systems: A Comparative Perspective