Events

In the Netherlands, the subject is still little known. It is already more on the map in the US, Belgium and France. Electrical currents leak to the Earth's surface if they are not properly insulated. Cow farmers in particular notice this in their animals. For example, they don't want to drink anymore and perform significantly less.

Experts suspect that stray current also has a significant impact on people. The leakage current that will circulate can be prevented by now taking into account the isolation of new devices and infrastructure. If there are no rules for this in electrifying countries, we will soon face high recovery costs if it turns out that the effects are significant.

The Foodlog Café @WFC on June 4 is about what we now know about stray electricity and what is wise to do now.

Are you building a food or agri startup or scale-up? Don't miss this inspiring afternoon in the heart of Foodvalley.

We're kicking off with a hands-on masterclass by Durk Bosma (Future of Food Institute) on how to really understand your customers — and how to build better products and stronger business cases with real insights instead of assumptions.

At 16:00 we will officially launch Makeitinthevalley.com: the new platform that connects you to everything Foodvalley has to offer — from accelerators and test facilities to financing, partners and international growth opportunities.

We conclude with an intimate, focused matchmaking session with 10—15 investors active in food and agri startups and scale-ups. A great opportunity to connect, pitch and explore together what's next for your company.

Program

• 14:00 — Masterclass: Customer insights as a basis for successful innovations
• 16:00 — Launch of Makeitinthevalley.nl
• 16:15 — Investor matchmaking & networking

Join

• ✅ Free participation
• Before the masterclass: register here
• For investor matchmaking (limited spaces): register here

Let's connect, learn and grow — make it in the Valley!
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Many food innovations fail for one simple reason: they're built on assumptions rather than real insights. In this session, international researcher and keynote speaker Print Bosma see how to prevent that pitfall — and how to translate a deep understanding of your target group into a stronger product, a sharper value proposition and a more compelling business case.

What does this session give you?
This is not a theoretical lecture. You'll go home with practical frameworks and practical examples that you can apply directly to your own business. Among other things, you will learn:

• How to identify real, unmet needs (not the ones that only sound good in a pitch deck)
• How to test the key assumptions behind your innovation before they cost you time and money
• How to translate customer insights into product features, positioning and communication
• How to avoid common pitfalls, such as socially desirable answers, echo chambers and “research as confirmation”

Who is this session for?
Whether you work B2C or B2B: insight into your target group is crucial. This session is therefore relevant to:

• Food and agri entrepreneurs and start-ups
• Innovators working on sustainable or healthy food solutions
• Founders who are preparing for market introduction, scaling up or repositioning
• Professionals who want to make an impact and build a viable company

About the Speaker
Print Bosma is founder of the Future of Food Institute and an internationally recognized expert on consumer behavior within the food system. He is a popular speaker at universities, in innovation programs and at industry events in Europe and beyond.

supplemental
‍Are you looking for investors for your start-up or scale-up? Then you are more than welcome to participate in the launch of the Makeitinthevalley.nl‑website and investors to meet. Start at 4:00 p.m. bee Ede Testing Ground.

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After a year of innovation, 25 food innovators are ready to show what the next step is. Join us on June 18 for the Go-To-Market Day, the program's closing event Redesign Food for Value.

Over the past year, we've redesigned products with a focus on health, sustainability and market value. Now it's time to put those innovations directly into the hands of the people who design our shelves and menus.

The program in a nutshell:

Morning program (only for participants, consortium partners and advisory board): closed buyer pitches, peer-to-peer strategy sessions and professional product photography.

Afternoon program (open to everyone):

• A dynamic panel discussion with industry leaders
• Networking with food changemakers, industry experts and emerging brands
• Taste and discover the new innovations at our signature Food Market

This is your chance to taste the future, connect with FoodValley partners, and start collaborations that shape the next generation of food.

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For the 6th consecutive year, we are bringing together food professionals, chefs, producers, caterers, and innovators who are working on the protein transition. During this inspiration day, we will share knowledge, sample new applications, and together discover how lupin plays a key role in healthy and sustainable food.

What to expect?

- Exclusive tastings & stories from innovative lupin products and frontrunners
- such as BOON, Grainlabs, No Mad Plant Co, Verrot Lekkere Smaakmakers, Ekomenu
- Inspiration for new concepts, recipes, and applications
- Practical knowledge such as the WUR's Alpha Tool for optimal meal composition,
- NEVO table and inspiration guide 'Rich & Robust Food'
- mini masterclass at the lupin test field 'Meet the plant': Intro to lupin, soil life,
- biodiversity and natural protein development.
- Networking with everyone who comes to give and receive in the Lekker Lupine Community

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Practical information
date: Friday, June 26, 2026
time: 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM
location: Lekker Lupine Venue & Lupin test field Ekoboerderij de Lingehof, Randwijk

Registration
via events@lekkerlupine.nl or via this link: https://forms.gle/S92QFfVFDzkkqnTY6

Free participation: based on pick-up and drop-off

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Who will definitely be there on the 26th?

Dean McClumpha (Development chef from Jamie Oliver's team) and Ton Gerritsen from No Mad Plant Co. will give an exclusive first tasting of their fast food

concept * Vera van Deelen, Brand marketer, and culinary product developer Pascal Naterop from BOON/ Jamael Foodgroup share inspiration on the application of the whole lupin bean, including a tasting * Christian Weij - award-winning fermentation specialist from Verrot Lekkere Smaakmakers takes you into the power and taste of fermented (lupin) beans and grains * Discover "Rich & Robust Food with the top 33 Dutch crops in terms of nutritional value and sustainability, compiled by the Louis Bolk Institute and World Wide Fund for Nature * Easily compose your ideal meal in terms of nutritional values with the online Alpha Tool from WUR * Linda Calciolari from Ekoboerderij de Lingehof and Delphy on soil and biodiversity in practice * St. Keep Food Simple, MFH Pulses, and other project partners of the OMEGA project on lupin in the NEVO table * Sanne BioJournaal, editor-in-chief Maria van Boxtel from Ekoland, and other press on the (un)familiarity of Dutch beans, organic, and lupin * Chef David Romo Ramos, with years of catering experience and owner of Beleid naar Bord, on the latter: 'how do you put that into practice?' * Lekker Lupine Local manager Veerle Jurrius and Austrian Nicola Kaltenböck with a Gen Z approach to get lupin on the plate * Ekomenu on a successful approach to personalized meal boxes * The introduction of the Lupini-mini * Frank van Eerd from Grainlabs on why the protein-rich lupin - tritordeum cakes are popular with Dutch top athletes and in healthcare * colleagues from team Lekker Lupine, Kaf & Koren (the cleaning line), Ekoboerderij de Lingehof, Land & co, and Lekker Lupine growers and... A growing group of professionals that grows by the day :)

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Welcome to the market day of RotFest 2026: the day when fermentation, taste, craft and innovation come together. Whether you've been fermenting for years, just set up your first pot of sauerkraut, or are simply curious about everything that bubbles, matures, fizzes and transforms, this is going to be a day not to miss.

In 2026, RotFest will further grow into a festival for everyone who is fascinated by taste with depth. Expect a lively atmosphere, special products, inspiring encounters and, above all, lots of things to taste, discover and take home. From savory to sour, funky to sophisticated, from ancient crafts to new fermentation ideas: market day is all about the richness of fermented flavors.

The fermentation market

The RotFest 2026 fermentation market will once again be a place full of fragrance, character and discovery. Think of a special mix of makers, flavor developers, craftsmen and innovators from the world of fermentation. You can count on a market full of products with a story: fermented seasonings, drinks, starters, books, tools and surprising creations that you can discover on the spot.

We will announce the names of the participants later, but you can already count on a strong and versatile offer with familiar faces as well as new discoveries from home and abroad. It will be a market where you can taste, buy, ask questions, get inspired and talk to people who breathe fermentation.

For enthusiasts, it's a feast of recognition. For curious beginners, it's the perfect place to see how broad, exciting and accessible fermentation really is.

More than just a market

RotFest's market day is no ordinary market, but a complete festival experience. It's a day where you not only discover products, but also learn to understand new flavors. A day where you can walk around, taste, have conversations, get ideas and be surprised again and again by how much fermentation can mean in the kitchen, glass and plate.

Throughout the day, there is that typical Rotfest atmosphere everywhere: approachable, strong in content, a bit stubborn and, above all, incredibly tasteful. Here you'll meet people who use fermentation to cook better, work more sustainably, produce more creatively and enjoy more intensely.

Starry fermentation lunch

If you want to make the market day extra special, you can join us for an exclusive 3-course fermentation lunch, provided by a restaurant with 1 Michelin star. Expect a sophisticated menu where fermentation is not used as a gimmick, but as a fully-fledged culinary instrument: layered, exciting and elegant.

This lunch takes the world of RotFest to restaurant level and shows how powerful fermentation can be in the hands of top gastronomy. A unique opportunity to be fully immersed in taste at the table in the middle of the festival.

More information about the menu and how to reserve lunch will follow later.

Keep an eye on RotFest 2026

In the coming period, we will be announcing step by step more about the participants, the program and everything else there is to experience at the festival. But one thing is already certain: the RotFest 2026 market day will be a day full of flavor, inspiration and fermentation in the broadest and tastiest sense of the word.

Come and have a taste of what's coming

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For everyone who wants to go beyond just making beautiful fermentations. This day is about an equally important question: how do you make sure that people actually want to eat, drink, buy and understand them?

Fermentation is fascinating, multi-layered and full of character — but also unfamiliar, exciting, or even a little scary to many people. Tastes can be intense, products sometimes require explanation and not every guest or customer is immediately sold. That is exactly what this summit is about.

During the RotFest Summit 2026 we dive into the world behind taste: how do you introduce fermentation to a wider audience? How do you make distinct flavours attractive? How do you take guests, customers and customers into something they don't know yet? And how do you build products, dishes and stories that are not only special, but also really land?

This day is for chefs, producers, makers, hospitality entrepreneurs, food professionals and fanatical taste thinkers who want to discover how fermentation can be not only culturally interesting, but also commercially powerful.

No blah blah, but honest stories, smart strategies, inspiring practical examples and insights from people who know exactly how to introduce new flavors without diluting them.

Learn from precursors

Speakers from the top of the gastronomy and food world share how they take guests and customers into unknown flavors, new products and characterful fermentations. Not just about making, but especially about positioning, serving, explaining and seducing.

Learn how taste becomes marketable

How do you ensure that something that seems exciting at first becomes irresistible? How do you build trust around an unknown product? And how do you make fermentation accessible without taking the soul out? Expect a day of practical insights into taste acceptance, storytelling, presentation and market sense.

Taste the translation into practice

During the summit, you will experience how high-level fermentation is used in dishes, products and concepts that really touch people. Not as a niche for insiders, but as something that more and more people want to try out.

Meet people who are building the future of taste

The summit is also a place to meet like-minded people: chefs, producers, researchers, entrepreneurs and fermentation enthusiasts who are all working on the same challenge — how do we make fermentation bigger, wider and more attractive?

The speakers

Nelson Tanate — chief of De Librije***

As a chef at the highest gastronomic level, Nelson Tanate knows better than anyone how to make distinct flavours work in a culinary context. His view on taste, experience, acceptance and refinement fits seamlessly with the theme of this summit.

Luc Kusters — Bolenius chef*

Luc Kusters is known for his distinct vision of taste, terroir and the power of ingredients. From Bolenius, he shows how, with a clear culinary signature, you can take guests into new flavors and how sophistication and accessibility can reinforce each other.

Joël Broekaert — moderator

As an astute tastemaker and interviewer, Joël Broekaert knows better than anyone how to bring culinary ideas to life. As chairman, he connects the conversations, stimulates the speakers and provides depth, energy and sharp questions.

More speakers will be announced soon.

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In 2024, we organized our first Start-up Day and it was a great success. Since then, much has changed, both in the world and within the food industry. Now is the time to come together again: to share insights, strengthen connections and grow and innovate together.

The 2nd Start-up Day at the NIZO Food Innovation Campus is an exclusive event for food startups, investors and innovators; specifically designed to help you accelerate development, scale up faster, take advantage of new funding opportunities and make valuable connections.

What to expect: • Funding options: Explore the latest funding sources and take advantage of exclusive, event-related offers for services and facilities.
• Expert network: Get in touch with leading experts, decision makers and fellow food innovators.
• Latest insights: Stay up to date with the latest developments in food & health innovation and find out how start-ups and scale-ups can benefit from this.
• Facilities tour: A behind-the-scenes look at NIZO's ISO 22000 certified, food-grade, open-access pilot plant.

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The 4th NIZO Protein Functionality Conference brings together the latest scientific and technological advances in protein functionality, with a strong focus on plant‑based and fermentation‑derived proteins. It offers a unique platform for experts from academia, research institutes, and industry to exchange insights and translate research into practical solutions for next‑generation protein ingredients and foods.

The program covers protein functionality across diverse biological sources, linking fields such as protein chemistry, processing, physics, formulation, sensory science, nutrition, and sustainability. Participants will gain deeper insight into designing and producing foods that meet consumer expectations while supporting global sustainability goals.

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Conferentiethema’s

Abstracts are invited on the following topics and should be submitted using the online abstract submission system. Deadline: 24 April 2026

The focus of the conference will be on the following aspects of plant protein functionality:

• Innovations in plant and single-cell protein ingredient production & processing.
• Interactions between proteins and other food components: impact on texture, stability, and sensory properties.
• Advances in protein analytics: linking composition, structure and reactivity with functionality and nutritional value with cutting-edge analytical tools.
• Improving protein functionality through fermentation: enhancing taste, digestibility, and techno-functional properties.
• Fermentation-derived proteins: production strategies, downstream processing, functional characteristics, and food applications.
• Sustainability as a driver for innovation: integrating environmental goals from ingredient production to final product.
• Diversity as a strength: expanding plant-based sources to build a resilient protein supply chain.

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On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the 2026 Region Foodvalley Innovation Award will be presented to the most innovative entrepreneurs. The prizes are presented in the sectors: Agri & food, Industrial & logistics and ICT sector. This happens during a festive meeting. This evening, we will present two prizes per category, the professional jury prize and the audience award.

The winners of the 2025 Regional Foodvalley Innovation Award were Unica (ICT), Movexx (Manufacturing and Production Companies) and AgroCares (Agrifood). The public awards went to Eatpol (ICT), Movexx (Manufacturing and Production Companies) and Wageningen City Brewery (Agrifood).

Sign in

Are you an entrepreneur in the Foodvalley Region and do you have an innovative product, process or service that you want to sign up for the innovation award? Then click on the link below. We also encourage smaller SMEs to apply, because innovative ideas arise in companies of all sizes. Registration is open until August 31, 2026.

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Campus Connect stimulates contact, connection and knowledge transfer between professionals at Wageningen Campus. From researchers to start-ups and from corporates to NGOs, Campus Connect offers short pitches, discussions and networking opportunities around specific themes.

Campus Connect Café is organized by the Wageningen Campus Team together with various campus stakeholders. That is why Campus Connect will take place at various locations on and around the campus and will cover a wide range of topics.

Are you an entrepreneurial agri-food professional? Do you want to exchange knowledge with others? Are you curious about tomorrow's market and would you like to get inspiration from your professional colleagues? Then leave your details in the form at the bottom of this page and we will keep you informed about future Connect Cafes.

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WFC Network is the community at the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are certainly more than welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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The best ideas often come off the agenda.

But what if one surprising moment makes all the difference in your meeting? During long meetings and conferences, the energy often goes away. Just then, a short moment of music, inspiration or wonder can provide new focus, fresh ideas and real connection.

At La Dolce Business, you'll experience how creative interruptions can make your meeting

reinforce. Not as a theory, but as an experience that makes information stick better, opens new insights and brings people closer together.

‍What you'll experience this afternoon

• moments that immediately increase the energy in your meeting

• creative impulses that break through thinking and spark new ideas

• music and environment that ensure that information sticks better

• a setting that ensures strong cooperation and real connection

Why La Dolce Business?

• not a standard meeting, but an inspiring experience

• everything arranged in one place: location, catering and overnight stay

• more energy, focus and engagement during your event

• a unique environment that encourages creativity

• directly applicable to your own meetings

At Akoesticum, we believe that music and culture play a powerful role in business contexts. During this afternoon, we will not only show you, but above all, feel how this can give your meeting more impact, and how you can organize your own events with us in an inspiring and creative environment.

We end in La Dolce Vita style: relaxed, with an Italian networking drink, good conversations and new connections.

Practical information

Location: AkoesticumFrisoPark 4, 6711 WZ EdeA characterful former barracks, right next to Ede-Wageningen intercity station and with ample parking

Date: May 26, 2026Time: 4:00 — 6:30 p.m.

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WFC Network is the community at the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are certainly more than welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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By connecting promising food and agtech start-ups and scale-ups with visionary investors and companies, F&A Next accelerates innovation in the agri-food sector.
The Netherlands, the second largest agricultural exporter in the world, is a leader in sustainable agriculture. At the heart of it lies Food Valley and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the best agricultural university in the world. F&A Next offers access to this vibrant center of agri-food innovation.

Our event includes two days of networking, pitching and debating the dynamics of food and agriculture. F&A Next is where the future of food systems takes shape.

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For years, the Dutch nature debate has been dominated by nitrogen reduction. Rightly so, because the nitrogen pressure on nature reserves is high and must be reduced. But nature hasn't recovered yet. In many areas, soils are now so acidified and emaciated that less nitrogen alone is not enough.

This is where the next phase of nature policy begins: management, conservation and restoration.

In this series, we investigate what is needed for this. What additional measures can really kick-start nature restoration? What role can highly targeted forms of fertilization play? How careful should you be when it comes to such interventions in large ecological systems? And how do you monitor whether what you're doing actually works?

We talk about recent practical experiences, new recovery strategies and the question of how the Netherlands can develop nature policy that is not only legally defensible but also has an ecological effect.

The relationship with the Habitats Directive is also central. Because if lost or weakened biotopes have to be resettled, the question is inevitable: what starting situation are we actually assuming? And what does it mean if the road to recovery is not only through nitrogen reduction, but also through active soil and nature restoration?

This series is about the most difficult and important question of the moment: how do we show that we are doing what we can to really restore nature?

At the Foodlog Café @WFC on Thursday, May 7, 2026, we will discuss these questions with the alderman of the Municipality of Ede and the driver of the Veluwe approach Jan Pieter van der Schans.

Do you want to be able to look back and tell the story of your company’s success? Join this masterclass on securing your future. Be part of the conversation on how to ensure your brilliant business doesn’t end in a brilliant failure.

Many businesses excel at delivering their product or service, but ensuring your company is still standing strong in five or ten years is a different challenge altogether. As you grow—adding more employees, increasing revenue, or expanding internationally—running a business becomes significantly more complex. Many companies don’t survive what is often called the “Valley of Death.”
What risks should you be aware of? What needs to be firmly in place as an SME owner? How do you stay in control and safeguard your company’s future? And how do you make sure you come out the other side of the Valley of Death?
The real question is: when should you start? … Now.

Martijn Croon and Lizanne Jakobs will guide you through it all in this free masterclass. We’ll cover topics such as:

• How do you define your long-term vision: your story, your future?
• How do you set clear, specific goals for yourself and your team?
• Financial control of your business: insight and overview bring peace of mind
• How do you identify your key risks and turn them into a clear plan of action?

There will, of course, be plenty of time for your questions. Afterwards, you’re warmly invited to join us for a networking drinks reception.

Lizanne Jakobs is a well-known speaker in the field of entrepreneurship. She is the founder of Brilliant Work, a multi award-winning coaching, consultancy and training firm for SMEs. Together with a team of 20 experts, they support entrepreneurs and their teams in growing and professionalising their businesses—often making use of a wide range of subsidy schemes.
Lizanne has over 15 years of experience as a business coach, holds a degree in Corporate Communication, and is known for her engaging and highly practical approach.

Martijn Croon is a business advisor at Countus, a full-service mid-sized accountancy firm with 25 offices across the eastern Netherlands, specialising in supporting SMEs.

Martijn Croon (MSc in Business Administration, Master in Finance & Control, and a Registered Business Succession Advisor) is a former entrepreneur himself. With over 25 years of advisory experience, he has witnessed both remarkable successes and notable failures.
For Martijn, it’s not the numbers that form the foundation of success, but the entrepreneur’s story. His passion lies in helping business owners shape and write that story for themselves.

Programme:

• 15.50 Arrival and welcome
• 16.00 Start
• 17.30 Drinks and networking opportunity
• 18.30 End

This masterclass will take place at the Frisokazerne site (Frisopark 4, Entrance C, 6711 WZ Ede).
The sessions will be held in Dutch.

Participation is free of charge. Registration is required.

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You're invited to a festive BBQ at our StartLife offices on the Wageningen University campus. Whether you're a startup, a StartLife mentor, or simply part of our community, join us to meet and connect with our 14th batch of startups.

Nadrie succesvolle edities in Amsterdam is Plant FWD uitgegroeid tot hét Europeseevenement voor professionals in alternatieve eiwitten. We zijn trots dat hetevent in 2026 in De Regio Foodvalley wordt georganiseerd en waar meer dan 1.000changemakers uit het voedsellandschap samen zullen komen: van startup totinvesteerders, retailers, beleidsmakers, experts in gezondheidszorg, chefs enonderzoekers.

Meteen gloednieuwe locatie, een bredere blik op de eiwittransitie en hetvoedselsysteem en een sterk inhoudelijk programma is deze editie klaar om teverbinden, ondernemerschap te stimuleren en waardevolle ontmoetingen tefaciliteren en samen één van de grootste uitdagingen van onze tijd aan aan tepakken: hoe we voedsel produceren én consumeren op een gezondere, duurzameremanier.

Watstaat er op het menu?
🎤 40+inspirerende sprekers van toonaangevende bedrijven zoals Robin Food Coalition,Picnic, Plant Futures, WUR, Jumbo, De Efteling, Do it Organic en meer  
🤝 Netwerkenmet 1.000+ professionals uit het hele food ecosysteem en ontmoet de meestinnovatieve start- & scale-ups, retailers en investeerders

🍽️ Proef en ontdek de nieuwste food innovaties inplant-based, balanced proteins, organic én novel foods op The Market

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Nadrie succesvolle edities in Amsterdam is Plant FWD uitgegroeid tot hét Europeseevenement voor professionals in alternatieve eiwitten. We zijn trots dat hetevent in 2026 in De Regio Foodvalley wordt georganiseerd en waar meer dan 1.000changemakers uit het voedsellandschap samen zullen komen: van startup totinvesteerders, retailers, beleidsmakers, experts in gezondheidszorg, chefs enonderzoekers.

Meteen gloednieuwe locatie, een bredere blik op de eiwittransitie en hetvoedselsysteem en een sterk inhoudelijk programma is deze editie klaar om teverbinden, ondernemerschap te stimuleren en waardevolle ontmoetingen tefaciliteren en samen één van de grootste uitdagingen van onze tijd aan aan tepakken: hoe we voedsel produceren én consumeren op een gezondere, duurzameremanier.

Watstaat er op het menu?
🎤 40+inspirerende sprekers van toonaangevende bedrijven zoals Robin Food Coalition,Picnic, Plant Futures, WUR, Jumbo, De Efteling, Do it Organic en meer  
🤝 Netwerkenmet 1.000+ professionals uit het hele food ecosysteem en ontmoet de meestinnovatieve start- & scale-ups, retailers en investeerders

🍽️ Proef en ontdek de nieuwste food innovaties inplant-based, balanced proteins, organic én novel foods op The Market

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Voedsel werd decennialang goedkoper. Schaalvergroting, lage energieprijzen en druk op boereninkomens duwden de prijs omlaag.

Sinds de oorlog in Oekraïne kantelde dat beeld. De voedselprijzen stegen hard. De inflatie zakt inmiddels, de prijzen in de supermarkt niet.

In een nieuwe podcastserie onderzoekt Foodlog de economische krachten achter dit nieuwe speelveld. We spreken met landbouweconomen, financials, grondstoffenexperts, retail en verwerkers.

Voedselinflatie bedroeg de afgelopen 5 jaar circa 25%. De algemene inflatie bleef rond 10%. Die eerste joeg de tweede aan, onder meer via hogere loonkosten. De mondiale keten blijkt kwetsbaar. Bedrijven zoeken hun aanvoer dichter bij huis.

Is dit tijdelijk? Of bewegen we naar een nieuw prijsregime waarin voeding structureel een groter deel van het huishoudbudget vraagt?

Daar gaan we het in het Foodlog Café @WFC op donderdag 2 april 2026 over hebben. Meld je hier aan.

WFC Network is the community at the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are certainly more than welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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What if the proteins on your plate could be produced without farmland, livestock, or a major environmental footprint? Microbial proteins, produced by the fermentation of microorganisms, offer a promising solution to feed a growing population while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and land use. In this lecture, we will discuss how microbes can convert sugars, agricultural waste and even CO₂ into nutritious proteins, the technologies behind these processes and the social implications.

Ready to unleash the power of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, and take your business to unprecedented heights? Then take a chance now and participate in the “Applying Generative AI in the Manufacturing Industry” process. Learn how AI can be the key to reducing costs, increasing quality and customer satisfaction, and boosting both productivity and sales.

On February 25th, Starthub Wageningen, Wageningen Campus, and Wageningen Ondernemers Contact are joining forces to host a special “Campus meets City” drinks event.

Whether you are a campus entrepreneur, a local business owner, or a professional looking to expand your network, this event is designed to bring together the expertise of the entire Wageningen ecosystem. Join us for an informal evening to see what is happening on campus and to strengthen the connections between our city and campus communities.
NOTE: registration is obligatory.

A webinar on process and microbial modelling, including food safety quality aspects of food processing. For all bioeconomy stakeholders, where possible with a focus on BioInnovators (Technology Owners).

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Can you be a poultry farmer and not eat your own eggs? In the film De Vegan Veehouder (The Vegan Livestock Farmer), photographer and documentary maker Kadir van Lohuizen follows Limburg poultry farmer Ruud Zanders. After the bankruptcy of his large-scale poultry businesses, Ruud started a smaller and more sustainable operation. This new concept, Kipster, has since attracted worldwide attention and is on the verge of an international breakthrough. But meanwhile, the farmer himself is increasingly questioning the why of keeping animals for food. For his own consumption, he now avoids meat, dairy and eggs as much as possible. Do we really need animals in the global food system?

On February 2nd, the documentary comes to Ede, right in the heart of the area with the highest poultry density in Europe. We will have an open conversation with the sector and other interested parties about the societal challenges facing the poultry industry. What future is there for chicken farmers? When are you doing well, or well enough, in terms of animal welfare and/or extensification? And what does that mean for the international market? What fits in the region? The conversation will be moderated by the initiator of the Foodlog Café @WFC: Dick Veerman.

Feel like getting warmed up beforehand? In the lead-up to the Foodlog Café @WFC XXL, Foodlog made 3 podcasts to get you in the mood."

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What to expect

19:00 | Walk-in with coffee & tea
19:30 | Documentary The Vegan Livestock Farmer & Good Talk led by Dick Veerman with Ruud Zanders, among others
21:00 | Drinks & bites
22:00 | End

Practical

• Monday, February 2, 7:00pm - 10:00pm
• The Mauritskazerne in Ede (free parking)
• Participation is free of charge, but full = full! You can register here.

The film was commissioned by The Food Revolution Foundation, with support from, among others, the Barth-Misset Fund. The tour is made possible in part by the province of Limburg, Triodos Foundation and the Symbio Foundation.

The main partner of this Ede edition is the Municipality of Ede. Made possible in part by Next Venue/De Mauritskazerne.

The future is literally on our plate. But are we truly on track towards a resilient, healthy and fair food system?

With 2030 drawing near, now is the moment to pause and take a clear-eyed look at where we stand. Have we made enough progress, or do we need to accelerate? Is speeding up really the way forward, or is doing things differently the key?

What will be your role? What does your organisation need to stay on course or perhaps to find a better one? After all, being ‘off course’ can also mean taking an alternative route, discovering that the path looks different from what we expected, or even redefining the destination itself.

On 11 December, during the Foodvalley Partner Event 2025, we’ll take a critical and collaborative look at those questions.

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WFC Network is the network organization for the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are still very welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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From December 10 to 19, a national touring photo exhibition about PUM and its projects will be shown at the Agrobusiness Park (Business & Science Park Wageningen).

In six high-quality photo panels, the exhibition shows how international entrepreneurs and Dutch experts work together on sustainable solutions. With powerful images and short stories, PUM shows how specialist knowledge, such as agriculture, food, circular systems and entrepreneurship, can directly contribute to positive, sustainable impact.

For professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs within the Wageningen Science and Business Park, the exhibition offers an inspiring insight into how knowledge exchange accelerates innovation worldwide. It shows how expertise from the Netherlands, in cooperation with local entrepreneurs, makes concrete progress in sustainable development possible.

The panels are on the hiking trails and at the roundabout.

Stop by and discover the stories behind these impactful collaborations.

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In the Netherlands, the subject is still little known. It is already more on the map in the US, Belgium and France. Electrical currents leak to the Earth's surface if they are not properly insulated. Cow farmers in particular notice this in their animals. For example, they don't want to drink anymore and perform significantly less.

Experts suspect that stray current also has a significant impact on people. It is also likely to have an impact on the safety of metal pipes in the soil and even on the lifespan of buildings. The leakage current that will circulate can be prevented by now taking into account the isolation of new infrastructure. If there are no rules for this in electrifying countries, we will soon face high recovery costs if it turns out that the effects are significant.

The Foodlog Café @WFC on December 4 is about what we now know about stray electricity and what is wise to do already.

Why you should absolutely attend Taste Growth

You can expect an impactful afternoon filled with:

• About 100 change makers from retailers, food service, start-ups, corporates, investors, policy makers, innovators, researchers, future talents and more.

• Inspiring keynote and break-out sessions from over 10+ industry leaders.

• Networking & matchmaking for 1-on-1 industry meetings.

• Outrageously good plant-based F&B by fermentation master Christian Weij
  

Bringing you another packed program

During this second edition of Plant FWD in the Valley, we'll explore the challenges and opportunities facing scale-ups in plant-based and alternative proteins today. Together with Plan Fwd's Town Lotte Sluiter As our moderator, you can count on an inspiring and interactive program packed with valuable insights from leading entrepreneurs and experts like:

• Dodging The Valley of Death together with Birgit Dekkers - founder & CEO at Rival Foods
• Mastering the Populist Play with Bas Erlings - Former Campaign Strategist
• Success stories at Efteling with Inan Shahin - Culinary Innovation Specialist
• Justice, Hope, Future together with Hannah Prince - Climate Activist & Lawyer

And more speakers to be confirmed!

Plant FWD 💚 Foodvalley Region

Plant FWD deliberately chooses Ede as the location for this event because of its strong connection to sustainable food innovation. The Foodvalley Region is a pioneering hub where entrepreneurship, scaling, knowledge, production and innovation converge to shape the future of our food system.

In a time when sustainability faces growing challenges, this region offers perspective: a place where entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators collaborate on practical and scalable solutions for a healthy, plant-forward future.

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As the name suggests, Sharing Innovations is all about sharing the latest innovations and applications. All this with the aim of stimulating innovation, especially in crossovers, in the Foodvalley region. An important goal of the event is to link scientific research to practical applications for SMEs by visualizing and thus stimulating regional cooperation and cross-sectoral innovation in the Foodvalley region. Photonics & AI are promising and also widely used techniques that offer solutions to many challenges in multiple sectors. With keynote speakers on technology, research and application, we want to inform, inspire and connect. In addition to the keynote speakers, we will also do this with break-out sessions.

Putting a lot of the same plants together is asking for trouble, because diseases make it super easy to spread. And for beetles and other pests, a field filled with nothing but crops they love is a treat. That's why we use toxins in fields and greenhouses.

But pesticides are under fire. The public has trouble with it. In France, the public protested vehemently against a decision by parliament to re-authorize a previously banned drug. NU.nl recently headlined: “Use of pesticides viewed with increasing suspicion”. Citizens file legal proceedings against farmers, gardeners and growers. The Den Bosch Court banned an authorised remedy at the end of July. Spraying is in danger of becoming subject to licensing. Harvests would deteriorate sharply and food would become even more expensive.

The Ctgb admissions authority is under fire. The NVWA supervisor complains that compliance with the rules is too low. Farmers complain that drugs are banned much faster than better ones come in return. It can't go on like this. How, then? That's what we're going to talk about on November 6 with an impressive list of experts, their critics, and the Ctgb and the NVWA themselves.

It's not just about watching movies, it's about stimulating the senses. In addition to film screenings, the festival organises various activities such as tastings, workshops and interactive programs that connect visitors to the world of food in a meaningful way.

Take part in the Career Day on Wednesday, October 15, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and meet 85 top employers! This event is your chance to discover internships, vacancies, and career paths while expanding your professional network.

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On 14 October, we celebrate fifteen years of StartLife and look ahead to what is next in Food & AgriTech. Join 250+ founders, investors, corporates, and partners to discover cutting-edge AgriFoodTech innovations tackling global food and agriculture challenges.

Nature-based strategies to benefit people and ecosystems

“Building with Nature” is a concept in sustainable design and engineering. It means working with natural processes rather than against them—for example, by creating future-proof infrastructure, cities, and landscapes. In this way, both people and ecosystems benefit.

In this immersive event, you will experience the beauty of nature and hear first-hand from Jaap van der Salm, associate partner at the H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten, about projects developed with this approach, as well as the challenges and opportunities it presents. His story will be complemented by the Nature Us video installation and a commentary from Dr. Kehui Xu, Director Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University (USA). This event is organized in collaboration with the ESG Programme Green Climate Solutions.

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In an increasingly polarized food system, Food Inspiration uses experience as a means to reconnect the plate to the soil. How? Through presentations, workshops, tastings, discussions, wild picking trips and meetings. The goal is to restore the broken bond between farm and fork, between guest and crop. Food Inspiration puts the magic of the everyday in the spotlight: the value of the Earth.