Research topics
From biodiversity to true pricing, from consumer behaviour to fisheries, from nature based solutions to farmers' revenue models, from sustainable value chains to health. Wageningen Economic Research has unique socio-economic exertise in all these fields. How do we keep our planet livable, while her inhabitants earn a living income and have access to health food? We think with you in policy and decision making. Our data and models provide help in this process.
Bio-based economy
On the drawing board, the applications and techniques related to a biobased economy – an economy in which everything is produced sustainably and efficiently – seem promising. The actual transition appears more complex, however. The challenge is to develop all the fine ideas into useful concepts for businesses and consumers. How do we do that?
Anticipating Changing Diets
Nourishing the world
By 2050, the world’s population will be approximately 9.7 billion of which almost 70% will live in large urban centres. Cities are already barely coping with the complex changes surrounding climate and food supply. Wageningen Economic Research is engaged in research on how we can ensure the future food and nutrition security worldwide.
Improving sustainability along the Agri & Food chain
Sustainability is high on many companies’ agendas. Organisations are striding to meet a variety of sustainability goals, such as lowering your carbon footprint and improving working conditions across value chains. These topics are big and complex and often outside your circle of influence. You have already taken some steps in the right direction, but how can you tell if your strategy is working? Are you pursuing the right goals? And what is the next step to gain a competitive advantage and to strengthen your business? Find out how we can help you with achieving your sustainability goals.
Realise change through social innovation
Working towards a more sustainable and healthier food system and living environment requires efforts from different people and rarely goes without a struggle. Due to the complexity and inherent resistance, many ambitious projects, initiatives and networks get bogged down and social challenges are passed on to the next generation. With the Social Innovation Approach, Wageningen Economic Research supports initiatives that work on step-by-step and pioneering innovation in the field of food and nature.
Innovate your business in five steps
A successful company today is by no means a guarantee for success in the future. Geopolitical turbulence, demographic and labour market developments, innovations in e.g., robotics and autonomous systems, capricious consumer behaviour, data-driven micro-targeting, privacy concerns, new laws and regulations, etcetera… All can have a big impact on business performance.
Food security
Food security is one of the great challenges of our time. The Earth is expected to have nine billion inhabitants by 2050. Together with the effects of climate change – such as the increased scarcity of fresh water and energy – this rise in population will make the worldwide production of and access to food uncertain, while the market prices of key food crops become more volatile.
Towards an inclusive & sustainable economy
One of the biggest challenges facing global society today is the provision of food, water, energy, healthcare and other resources and services to a world with an increasing population, in the face of mounting environmental stresses and rising inequality. There is a need for circular and resilient food systems that close material flow loops in the complete supply chain from farmers to consumers and back. This should be done in a resource efficient manner that includes all relevant actors.
Consumer & Food
The agrifood sector extends across the entire food spectrum, from primary production to processing, marketing, and distribution. Both the Dutch and the international agrifood sector are committed to the production of top-quality food in sustainable chains, where people, livestock, and the environment are paramount. In order to meet this commitment a consumer-oriented and market-based approach is essential.
Chain and market research
Sustainable development of agri-food chains worldwide is now more important than ever. The current food production and distribution system creates bottlenecks: emissions of ammonia and nitrogen to soil and water, particulate matter, CO2, odour emissions, animal welfare problems, undesirable side effects of plant protection products, light nuisance, damage to biodiversity and soil quality, exploitation and lack of living income.
Towards a healthy diet in a liveable environment
More than half the world's population lives in a city – in Europe the proportion is as high as 75 per cent – and that share is rising. In 2050, more than three-quarters of the nine billion people inhabiting the earth will be located in cities. This global urbanisation will lead to issues regarding food supply: How will we produce and distribute sufficient and varied food for and to these urban populations in a healthy and responsible manner?
Nexus
The growth of the world population and our current way of life are intensifying climate change, depleting natural resources and increasing pollution. Only by making living, working, recreation, food production and consumption more structurally sustainable can we turn the tide.
Digital innovation in Agri & Food
Agriculture and food production is increasingly being digitalised by using all kind of smart devices and intelligent software systems. It may seem like only technical specialists and engineers can help digitalisation, but we think digital innovation is much more a social experiment requiring socio-economic insight.
Agro & food policy
Several European markets are characterised by oversupply and low farmer prices, with society and policy makers discussing sustainability, environment, the relation between food and health and ethical topics, such as animal welfare and food waste. In addition, current value chains are under pressure and new structures are upcoming. These developments raise the question whether agricultural policy should develop into a food policy and how such a policy should regulate the retail and food industry and its increasing control over agriculture and its responsibility for healthy diets.
Sustainability monitoring
The regular market economy does not incorporate information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, non renewable resources, natural capital and inclusiveness. Helpful tools to provide direct insights into the current gaps between market-based outcomes and more sustainable and inclusive target results include regular monitoring and inclusive procedures.
Policy research and analyses
Wageningen Economic Research performs many analyses in the preparation of new policies for regional, national and international governments. This involves a wide range of policy issues, such as the development of agricultural sectors, environment, water, nature, spatial planning and consumer issues.
Risk management
Adequate insights into the uncertainties that affect changes in production, transformation & exchange processes and developments in consumption practices may help to convince public, private and civic parties to engage in environmental upgrading and inclusive value chain development programmes. There are different tools for assessing the environmental risks of investment activities and for providing insights into the distributional effects of market interventions. These can be used to facilitate policy debates on different strategies towards inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.
Marine policy
The economic importance of the seas is increasing due to their role in energy, transport, the fisheries, aquaculture and recreation. This confronts companies and government agencies with challenges relating to economy, ecology, market and chain and management issues. Our studies, analyses and insights contribute to the creation of solutions. We make use of our knowledge of land and marine food production and of our scientific expertise in sectors, models and entrepreneurship. We examine the national and international policy contexts and build on our national and international databases. Our work contributes to the sustainable utilisation of the seas.
Integrated agrofood systems and policies
A major challenge faced by the global food system is to feed a population which may rise to nearly 10.5 billion by 2100. These people will also be comparatively richer on average and the majority will live in an urbanised environment. The demand for (high-quality) food will therefore increase by even more than the growth in population suggests. Resilient high-quality agriculture and food systems are required to provide consumers with healthy and safe food and to ensure they can more easily make healthy choices.
Wageningen Food Views
Wageningen Food Views empowers you in your strategic decision-making with easy to understand visual scenario outcomes and offer clear insights in future opportunities and threats for your business.
Digital Ethics and Responsible digitalisation
The development of digital technology (such as, AI, robots, IoT, Digital Twins) for the agri-food sector often raises ethical and societal questions. These questions are often not attended to until very late in the innovation process, when the technology is finished developing and ready to be put on the market. But at that point, these questions may hinder a fluid adoption and acceptance of the technology.