Describing itself as the primary knowledge-intensive agrifood ecosystem in the Netherlands, Food Valley, as it's known, promises food-related solutions "in the region and far beyond", via co-operation between companies, knowledge institutions, innovation centres, education and government. The base for these global ambitions is the quiet university town of Wageningen.
This is a modest place, seemingly at odds with its reputation as a world capital of innovation in food and agriculture, where the whole chain of research is usually covered in-house – by the locality's more than 6,500 specialists and experts, from biochemical engineers to seaweed policymakers to tasting panellists who determine the deliciousness of experimental tomatoes.
Wageningen, an hour's drive from Amsterdam, was nicknamed Food Valley (referencing the Gelderse Valley, where the town nestles) in the early 2000s. At this time, the university was caught up in a push to infuse its academic prowess with some of tech's startup spirit – fusing the best of Gelderse Valley and Silicon Valley, if you will. Food and agtech accelerators were established, such as StartLife and Foodvalley NL – a platform to connect an international business network with the research and resources of Wageningen University and Research (WUR). Meanwhile, in WUR’s labs and greenhouses, researchers continued to labour towards answers for the greatest challenges of our time: global hunger, disease and climate change.
WIRED speaks to the researchers shaping the future of food. Read the full article at WIRED (Sami Emory)