Wageningen Academy

FUN FACT 📢   Did you know that… Sub-Saharan Africa could be fully self-sufficient in cereals by 2050? 🌾🌍   Research led by Martin Van Ittersum shows that the region can produce enough maize, wheat, rice, millet and sorghum to feed its growing population, without expanding agricultural land. The key lies in closing yield gaps and improving agricultural management, rather than farming more land.   Today, food production growth in Sub-Saharan Africa still largely comes from expanding acreage, while yields lag behind other regions. The study shows that with better seeds, fertilisation, timing and knowledge, yields could increase fast enough to meet future demand, even under climate change.   The message is cautiously optimistic: self-sufficiency is possible, but only with major investments in knowledge, infrastructure, political stability and regional cooperation.   Curious what it would take to make this transition happen? 👉 https://lnkd.in/dB58auQD   #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture #GlobalFoodSystems #CropProduction #FutureOfFood

⚠️🔬 Listeria is zeldzaam. En precies daarom wordt het soms onderschat. In voedselveiligheid gaat de meeste aandacht vaak uit naar risico’s die vaak voorkomen. Logisch. Maar sommige risico’s vragen juist om extra scherpte omdat de gevolgen groot kunnen zijn wanneer het misgaat. Listeria monocytogenes is daar een goed voorbeeld van. Volgens European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) en European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) veroorzaakte Listeria in 2024 binnen de EU het hoogste aandeel ziekenhuisopnames en sterfgevallen onder gemelde voedselinfecties. Vooral voor kwetsbare groepen, zoals ouderen, zwangere vrouwen en mensen met een verzwakt immuunsysteem, kan een besmetting ernstige gevolgen hebben. Dat maakt Listeria een lastig vraagstuk voor professionals in de voedingsindustrie. Niet alleen omdat de bacterie kan voorkomen in kant-en-klare producten, maar ook omdat beheersing vraagt om inzicht in groei, houdbaarheid, bemonstering, data, wetgeving en praktische maatregelen in de hele keten. En juist daar wordt het interessant. Want hoe toon je aan dat een product veilig blijft gedurende de volledige houdbaarheidstermijn? Hoe vertaal je modellen, challenge tests en sequencing naar beslissingen op de werkvloer? En wanneer weet je dat je beheersmaatregelen echt voldoende zijn? Tijdens onze Cursus Listeria duiken professionals samen met specialisten in deze vragen. Het combineert wetenschap en praktijk, met aandacht voor onder andere risicomanagement, wetgeving, modellering, Listeria-studies, challenge testen, data-analyse en sequencing. Nieuwsgierig? 👇 https://lnkd.in/d9MaFJ-p

🌱🔄 Sustainable farming is entering a new phase in Europe, and it is no longer a conversation for farmers alone.   The European Commission recently published new guidance for the CAP 2028–2034, focused on making agri-environmental and climate actions more effective, workable and attractive for farmers. That last part is important, because the success of these measures depends on much more than ambition. It depends on whether they fit real farms, regional realities, economic risks and the wider networks of people and organisations connected to agriculture.   The guidance points to several factors that will be key: clear practices, adequate incentives, strong farmer uptake, result-based approaches, collective action at landscape level, and support through advisory services, innovation, digitalisation and cooperation.   In other words, sustainable agriculture is not only a technical challenge. It is a system challenge. Farmers may be the ones implementing change on the ground, but policymakers, companies, financiers, NGOs, advisors and supply-chain partners all influence whether that change becomes possible, scalable and lasting.   That is also where many professionals get stuck. They see that food and farming systems need to become more resilient, sustainable and viable, but the path from ambition to action is rarely straightforward. Different stakeholders work from different responsibilities, risks and realities.   At the Lighthouse Farm Academy, we explore that complexity through real-world examples of farms that are already testing new pathways. Through online learning, Farm Labs and an international alumni movement, professionals build the shared language, practical tools and system perspective needed to understand what works, why it works and how to bring others along. Because the future of sustainable farming will not be shaped by policy alone. It will be shaped by the people who can translate ideas into practice and create movement in the systems they work in.   💬 What do you think is most needed to make sustainable farming measures work in practice: better incentives, better examples or better collaboration?   More about the Lighthouse Farm Academy: https://lnkd.in/euVmiu9Z

🐄 If sustainable animal husbandry were easy, it would already be solved…   Instead, professionals in and around livestock farming are working in a field full of trade-offs. Improving animal welfare, reducing environmental impact, maintaining economic viability and contributing to a future-proof food system are not separate ambitions. They are connected, and sometimes they pull in different directions.   What improves welfare might affect emissions. What looks promising in a report might be difficult to apply on farm. What works for one part of the chain may create new questions somewhere else. And around all of this, public debate, policy targets and market pressure continue to evolve.   That is why sustainable animal husbandry asks for more than good intentions or isolated solutions. It asks for professionals who can understand the full system, weigh evidence, recognise tensions and make decisions that are both scientifically grounded and practically realistic.   To support professionals working on these questions, Wageningen University & Research has brought together its courses in Sustainable Animal Husbandry in one place.   From net-zero dairy supply chains and poultry nutrition to gut health, hatchery management, breeding and sensor data, the courses offer different entry points into the same bigger question: how do we move towards livestock systems that are more sustainable, resilient and realistic in practice?   For those who know that “it depends” is often the most honest answer, but not where the conversation should end.   👉 Explore our courses in Sustainable Animal Husbandry: https://lnkd.in/ePAETuND 

🌍🎓 You want to grow as a leader in Food & Agri, but how do you combine a busy career with study?   For many professionals, the next step is not about starting from zero. It is about building on years of sector knowledge and finding the right moment to broaden your perspective. And often, that next step begins before your calendar feels completely ready for it.   The Executive MBA Track: Leadership in Food & Agribusiness is designed for professionals who want to strengthen their leadership and business insight alongside their career. In six months, you explore the strategic questions shaping the sector, from innovation and sustainability to food security and organisational change, together with other professionals who understand the complexity of this field.   The new start date is now known: 13 January 2027.   Curious whether this track fits your ambitions? Join the online information session on 15 June from 14:00 to 15:00 CEST, where the Academic Director and Programme Manager will share more about the programme and answer your questions.   👉 https://lnkd.in/eVxRfXeF

🍅🔬 What happens when grower’s intuition meets science?   For Milan Kula, Head Grower at Farma Bezdínek, growing tomatoes is both a craft and a science. As the person responsible for 15 hectares of greenhouses in the Czech Republic, he had already built years of practical experience in producing high-quality tomatoes without pesticide residues.   Still, he wanted to take a step back and compare what he had learned in practice with the latest scientific insights. That brought him to Wageningen University & Research.   During the Summer School Greenhouse Horticulture, Milan found the scientific foundation behind decisions he had often made intuitively. He gained new ways to discuss topics such as CO₂ concentration, yield, quality, LED lighting and light spectrum, and could immediately connect these insights to his daily work in commercial greenhouse production.   For professionals in greenhouse horticulture, this is where practical expertise and research-based knowledge come together. The programme combines lectures, practical casework, seminars by experts and field visits to leading international companies in the greenhouse industry.   Curious about Milan’s full story? 👉 https://lnkd.in/d3UM2EPP   Discover the Summer School Greenhouse Horticulture: 👉 https://lnkd.in/ef7FZA-A   #GreenhouseHorticulture #Horticulture #ProtectedCultivation #ProfessionalEducation

🥔🌱 What if the potato of the future is already growing in a field near Lelystad?   WUR researchers have planted genetically modified potatoes that may be better able to resist Phytophthora, the pathogen behind potato blight. For growers, this is not a small problem. Late blight is still described as one of the most devastating diseases in global potato production, with major yield losses and high management costs worldwide.   In the Resource - WUR university magazine, researcher Ania Lukasiewicz explains how WUR is testing potatoes with added resistance genes, as well as potatoes in which a gene has been switched off using CRISPR.   The aim? To explore whether these plants can reduce the need for chemical spraying while helping breeders stay one step ahead of a pathogen that keeps evolving.   CRISPR-Cas is becoming increasingly relevant for plant breeding, seed innovation and crop resilience, especially as EU rules for new genomic techniques continue to develop. For professionals working in plant science, biotechnology or breeding, the question is becoming more practical: how do you design and apply gene editing strategies in plants?   That is the focus of our new hands-on course: CRISPR-Cas in Plants. In six days, participants work through the key steps: from CRISPR-Cas constructs and transformation to mutation detection and crop-focused case studies.   What do you think: will CRISPR-Cas become essential for developing more resilient crops?   Read the Resource article: https://lnkd.in/eMAKXjDB Explore the course: https://lnkd.in/eVhqPj5Z   #PlantBreeding #GeneEditing #FoodSecurity #SustainableAgriculture 

FUN FACT 📢   Did you know that… plant viruses can survive plastic recycling? 🦠♻️   In agriculture and horticulture, plastics often come into direct contact with crops and growing media. This makes reuse and recycling particularly challenging, and raises questions about cultivation safety when recycled materials are reused.   In a collaborative project, Alexander Boedijn and Wouter Post worked with companies and researchers across disciplines to explore how plastic use in the sector can become more circular. The work led to tangible solutions, such as compostable substrate bags and degradable turf nets, as well as new insights into real challenges, including the fact that plant viruses can survive standard recycling processes.   Alongside technical innovation, the project also delivered practical tools to help growers make better choices, showing that circularity is not just about materials, but about decisions across the entire value chain.   Curious how plastics can be used more sustainably in agri- and horticulture? 👉 https://lnkd.in/eMYktWgS   #CircularPlastics #SustainableHorticulture #CircularAgriculture #SustainableMaterials

The QS Executive MBA Rankings for 2026 are in… 🎉   According to this ranking, Wageningen Academy’s MBA partner TIAS School for Business and Society ranks #7 worldwide for career outcomes, out of 246 programmes in total!   The ranking is based on what happens after graduation, including career progression, salary development and promotions within 12 months. We are proud to work with TIAS to educate the next generation of leaders in the food and agribusiness sector. Congratulations to our colleagues at TIAS and to all MBA alumni who make this programme stand out.👏   Considering your next step in Food & Agri? The Executive MBA combines business strategy with sector-specific insight, designed for professionals looking to grow their impact.   More information: https://lnkd.in/dJnQAhEA

🌍🎯 Choosing the right farm lab can feel like a big decision.   Different regions, farming systems and challenges… where do you even start? And more importantly, how do you know what’s actually relevant for your role?   At the Lighthouse Farm Academy, you don’t have to decide upfront. You begin with an online module, where you explore key challenges in agri-food systems and understand how they connect to policy, finance and supply chains. You build a broader perspective on how the system works and where change can happen, not just on the farm, but across the entire value chain.   Because shaping the future of farming isn’t just the responsibility of farmers. It also involves policymakers, investors, supply chain partners, advisors and innovators working together.   From there, you compare different farm contexts and approaches, and discover what resonates with your own professional challenges. Only then do you choose the Lighthouse Farm Lab that best fits your work and goals, and apply your insights on-site in a real-world setting.   So whether you work in industry, finance, policy or research: this is about understanding your role in the system, and how you can contribute to meaningful change.   A more informed choice, and a much stronger learning experience.   Swipe to see how it works 👇 https://lnkd.in/euVmiu9Z