Longreads Wageningen University & Research
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A rapid test to monitor antibiotic use in livestock farming
22 April 2024 - Longread - Antibiotics must be used with restraint if we are to prevent the emergence of resistant bacteria, and that applies to livestock farming, too. This is why farmers keep a record of the amount of antibiotics they use. Currently, however, these records are checked slow and expensive laboratory tests. Scientists at Wageningen are developing a rapid test which will give immediate results. It’s efficient, but can be confronting. -
EU legislation alone won't revive the Netherlands' lost art of repair
18 April 2024 - Longread - Hear from AMS Institute, TU Delft, and Wageningen University & Research experts on what we might need for mass adoption of repair: bottom-up mind shifts, training, and knowledge supplemented with a Living Lab approach. -
Cut pesticide use, but how?
11 April 2024 - Longread - The use of pesticides is heavily debated. On paper, it's possible to significantly reduce pesticide usage through clever interventions, but reality proves to be more challenging. Successful green innovation requires knowledge of plant cultivation, technology, ecology, and behavioral science. "We want to delve much deeper into the mindset of the agricultural entrepreneur." -
Gelia Castillo, second woman honorary doctor Wageningen University (1983)
02 April 2024 - Longread - Gelia Castillo was the second woman who received an honorary doctorate from Wageningen University in 1983. Being born and based in the Philippines, she was actually the first woman from outside the Western world. This portrait is part of the series Inspirational Women from the Past at WUR. -
Arthur Mol looks back on nine years as Rector Magnificus
06 March 2024 - Longread - In nine years, he has seen a lot of change in the world and in WUR, and his optimism is now tinged with more realism. Rector magnificus Arthur Mol is stepping down from the Executive Board. -
Frida Eversmann, first female agricultural engineer
02 February 2024 - Longread - Frida Eversmann (1890-1941) was the first Dutch female agricultural engineer (1919) and an inspiring scientific assistant. She was able to combine this with groundbreaking social work till she ran into an integrity conflict. Last November, the Marina van Damme Fund put her in the spotlights with a short biography and a memorial tree in the Enschede botanical garden. Frida marks the start of a new series on Wageningen women of the past, to let their lives inspire us today. -
Putting a price tag on biodiversity loss
02 February 2024 - Longread - In an effort to underscore the importance of healthy biodiversity for global economies and investment portfolios, economists at Wageningen Economic Research posed the question: What if insects and birds no longer pollinated our crops? What would the resulting losses amount to? And what abatement measures would be most cost-effective to invest in? -
CCU: Carbon Capture and Utilisation for renewable chemicals and materials
01 February 2024 - Longread - In order to mitigate climate change, carbon dioxide emissions need to be reduced. One of the options is to capture and store the emitted CO2 (CCS). However, CO2 storage alone is only a partial solution. To progress towards a circular society, CO2 is preferably not just being captured, but also utilised as a source of renewable carbon alongside biomass and product recycling, for the production of renewable based chemicals and materials. -
‘We need greater water awareness’
18 January 2024 - Longread - The increased frequency of floods and droughts caused by climate change is eventually going to make the current approach to water management unaffordable for the government. Stijn Reinhard and Vincent Linderhof of Wageningen Economic Research argue that an economic perspective of water issues can reveal more efficient solutions and smarter policies. -
The opportunities of AI in food and ecosystems
18 January 2024 - Longread - Wageningen research groups are working with artificial intelligence (AI) more and more. What opportunities and dilemmas does that present for our research? And how can WUR invest in so-called ‘responsible AI’?