RPM (Renée) Cardinaals MSc

After finishing a bachelor degree in Animal Sciences at Wageningen University & Research, Renée proceeded with an MSc in Organic Agriculture (also at WUR). To learn more about sustainable food systems she attempted to integrate courses from different disciplines (plant, soil, animal) into her curriculum. During her MSc, she assisted in the courses "The Role of Livestock in Future Food Systems" (YAS-33406) and "Systems Approach for Animal Sciences" (APS-20806). In 2019/2020 she completed both her internship and her thesis at the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Switzerland. During her internship, she looked at the place of animal products in national dietary guidelines, from both a diet as an environmental perspective. For her thesis, she investigated how the production of biogas from waste streams can play a role in circular food systems. After graduating from her MSc, she started as a junior researcher at the Farm Systems Ecology group. In May 2021, she started her PhD project in the same group, under supervision of dr. Hannah van Zanten (FSE) and prof. dr. Thom Huppertz (FQD). Het PhD focuses on the human health side of sustainable food choices, where the aim is to find a balance between what is an environment-friendly diet and what is a diet that safeguards human health.