I am Dagmar and I am a high school student. I have a main interest in human health and the major global challenges. I think that planetary health – the interconnection of health of animals, plants, human and our environment - is essential for good human health, both for current and future generations. That’s why I am planning to study Medicine, Health Sciences or Global Studies after graduation. In my spare time, I like to travel and read. 

I am Annika and I am a high school student as well. Besides being a swimmer, I am interested in complex societal challenges. Feeding a growing global population with healthy, affordable, accessible, safe food that is produced within the planetary boundaries is such a challenge. I think that other global challenges also relate to planetary health, e.g. international safety. Because I want to contribute to this topic, I am planning to study (global) criminology after graduation.

We are supervised in this project by our mother (Ingeborg de Wolf) who has studied Environmental Health Sciences (Maastricht University) and Business Administration (Nyenrode University) and got her PhD at the Veterinary Faculty of Utrecht University. Previously, she was head of the department of Livestock and Environment at Wageningen University and Research. Currently, she is the managing director of the Health Council of The Netherlands.

Our topic

Because of our mom’s background, we heard a lot about sustainable food production systems and the challenge of feeding the world while climate change affects the conditions under which we have to produce this food. We learned about the many different aspects of this challenge and how many aspects are interrelated. At the same time, we noticed that the debate on food production in The Netherlands is very polarised. Therefore, we wondered whether it is possible to design a sustainable and climate-adaptive food production system that is scalable and adaptable to local conditions and needs anywhere in the world, together with stakeholders?This question became the topic of our project.

Our mission

To design sustainable food systems that fit within the earth's carrying capacity, do justice to local conditions and provide food security for all for whom food production and availability are threatened by rising water levels.

Our vision

We believe it is possible to design sustainable food systems that fit within the earth's limits and are based on the local context. We believe that with such systems, it is possible to produce affordable, accessible, safe and diverse food even when food production is threatened by rising water levels due to climate change. 
 
We believe the key to such solutions lies in connecting, collaborating and co-creating. We believe this applies within and between sectors but also between sectors, governments, knowledge institutions and society. By talking together, searching for solutions together, creating together and fine-tuning designs together so that there is mutual understanding and support for the eventual solution.
 
We believe that if you really want to take steps, it's best to start small. Current food systems are very complex: there are many chain parties and much takes place outside the borders of the Netherlands. We have no control over that and it is difficult to get it moving. But movement can also start small: many small movements eventually make a big movement together, too. That is why we believe in the power of short chains, in which everyone knows each other and each other's interests, has the same ambitions and is happy for each other. We innovate locally and inspire globally: glocal farming.
 
Finally, we believe that in food systems in which animals are kept, a dignified existence for these animals should be paramount. Animals have an intrinsic value by 'being'. We believe that a dignified existence should weigh just as much as other sustainability requirements.