Our Networks & Partners

Collaborations between researchers and stakeholders. See text under heading "Collaborations between researchers and stakeholders"

Future Food Utrecht works closely with a diverse range of businesses, knowledge partners, governments, research institutes, non-profit organisations  and other authorities in its efforts to take on the global food challenge. We do this by working together in externally funded projects and by participating in networks addressing many of the challenges in our current food system. Future Food Utrecht has embraced the Sustainable Development Goals and hopes, together with its partners, to contribute to reaching the goals set by 2030. 

Information about research projects related to food topics can be found in the Research theme’s pages.

Here below some of the networks and collaborations in large projects at international, national and regional scales:

Regional 

  • Food Print Utrecht Region: Collaboration local players to build a sustainable and health food environment in the Utrecht region, with focus on the theme ‘the Healthy City’.  
  • Food Valley Regional Deal (2020-2024): The Food Valley Regional Deal is a long-term partnership between the national government, the Food Valley region, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University, the provinces of Gelderland and Utrecht, LTO North, VNO-NCW Midden and the Vallei en Veluwe Water Authority. The Food Valley Regional Deal will involve three separate tracks that form a coherent whole: the agricultural transition, healthy nutrition and knowledge development. 
  • UU to collaborate with Amped / Local2Local: Future Food Utrecht from Utrecht University and AMPED/Local2Local will work closely together on this transition to local food and a regional food system, heritage and landscape, biodiversity and climate adaptation.

National 

  • Sustainable Food Initiative: A national collaboration with key business and university players in the food system in the Netherlands to work on innovative solutions that lead to a more sustainable food system in the Netherlands. Topics in which the SFI is currently working are: Circular packaging, Food, Health, ingredients, Total use and Protein Transition.  
  • Transitie Coalitie Voedsel (the Food transition Coalition):  is a multi-stakeholder coalition of Dutch frontrunners in the field of agriculture, food, nature and health who strive to shape and speed up the transition. It also focuses on influencing government policy and legislation. The most important files the coalition focuses on are: Protein transition, Common Agricultural Policy, Knowledge & Innovation Agenda, Prevention agreement, Agricultural policy vision. 
  • Foundation Nutrition in Transition: Future Food participates in this foundation that aims at facilitating the discussion of the future of nutrition science: how to improve its capability and credibility. 
  • Green Protein Alliance: Future Food Utrecht joined in 2020 the Dutch Green Protein Alliance, an innovative partnership working to accelerate the protein transition. 
  • Green Deal on Nature-inclusive Agriculture in Green Education signed. This New Green Deal focuses on promoting new ways of producing food that decrease the pressure on nature and enhance biodiversity. In addition to other government agencies and farmers’ organizations, 18 education institutions signed the agreement, including (pre)vocational colleges and schools (MBO and VMBO), universities of applied science (HBO) and universities.

European