Longreads Wageningen University & Research
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NWO: Funding for studies on improving the health of people in low socioeconomic positions
17 March 2022 - Longread - People in low socioeconomic positions lead less healthy and, on average, shorter lives. What can we do to improve the overall health of this group? -
What nutrition benefits (top) athletes?
10 February 2022 - Longread - The Olympics are well underway. Athletes follow demanding training programmes to deliver world-class results. This includes nutrition. ‘Good nutrition is essential to getting the best out of yourself’, says Marco Mensink, nutrition, sports, and exercise researcher at the Human Nutrition and Health department. -
Our Circular Household in 2050
27 January 2022 - Longread - We must strive for a fully circular household by the year 2050, says Saskia Visser, programme director of the knowledge development programme “Towards a circular and climate-neutral society”. That calls for tough choices: do you want to travel by plane, eat meat or buy new clothing? -
Climate magazine
01 November 2021 - Longread - 15 stories about research on climate change. -
Farming Without Fertiliser — Is It Possible?
03 September 2021 - Longread - There is a lot of social debate about production methods in agriculture and whether this can or should be done differently. Transition, sustainability, circular agriculture, intensification, and nature inclusiveness are just a few of the terms that are mentioned regularly. -
A green city for everyone
03 September 2021 - Longread - How can we ensure that all inhabitants benefit from nature in the city? Various researchers of Wageningen University & Research are seeking to answer this question. ‘We want as many people as possible to benefit from green cities, which is why the social aspect must feature high on the agenda of climate adaptation and urban nature projects.’ -
WUR in Ethiopia: on the way to a sustainable food pyramid for all
21 July 2021 - Longread - Although malnutrition has declined in Ethiopia over the past two decades, most people don't eat healthy. This is particularly due to the unavailability of nutritious food, such as vegetables and fruits. Wageningen University & Research collaborates with Ethiopian partners to develop a Food Systems Approach. This helps policymakers to gain insight into the multiple factors and interests that are involved in the food system, meaning that public health, the environment, and a fair distribution of income are taken into account as well. -
Agroecological agriculture requires tailored biodiversity
25 May 2021 - Longread - If farming is to become more sustainable, agricultural landscapes need to become more biodiverse, according to entomological researcher Karin Winkler and lecturer/researcher in agricultural systems Dirk van Apeldoorn. “But greater biodiversity is not automatically helpful for agriculture. It has to be tailored.” -
Agricultural businesses will make smarter use of their own energy
25 May 2021 - Longread - Agricultural businesses play an important role in decentralised energy generation. That role could develop further with more effective use of localised energy. “If you’re flexible, you can do all sorts of clever things on your side of the electricity meter,” say WUR researchers Andrea Terbijhe and Andries Visser. “You need to be able to take advantage of the peaks.” -
More extreme weather requires a different approach to cultivation
25 May 2021 - Longread - Rapid climate change is an increasing threat to cultivation. According to Daan Verstand and Rien van der Maas, farmers and horticulturalists will have to devote much more attention to the supply of water. In addition to good water management, a range of cultivation measures will also be required.