The world food issue is a many-headed monster

In 2050, there will be 10 billion people to feed. Even now, the food supply poses major environmental, climate and health challenges. Wageningen scientists from a wide range of disciplines, from agronomists and nutritionists to philosophers, are researching partial solutions. Their stories are bundled in the book 'Tien miljard monden' (Ten billion mouths), compiled by nutritionists Jeroen Candel and Ingrid de Zwarte. "We did not want to tell a straightforward story, but to bring all the ideas together."

Not long after manager Jeroen Candel and historian Ingrid de Zwarte were introduced to each other on the Wageningen campus in September 2019, there was a plan for a book. And a year after their first meeting, 'Tien miljard monden' lies in bookshops. It contains 41 groundbreaking ideas from 80 Wageningen scientists about healthy and sustainable food in the future. From eating algae and insects to reducing food waste. And from making better choices in the supermarket to fighting hunger in developing countries.

Ingrid de Zwarte: "This book has strengthened our belief that there is no simple solution to the world food problem. Nor can we put the problem down to a particular group within the food chain. We need a fundamental redesign of the whole food system. On the basis of the insights of this book you can be hopeful about the various possible solutions that science has to offer, but whether it goes from planning to realisation to impact depends to a large extent on politics and governance. There are many steps that can be taken now, but then all the different actors really need to be set in motion now, not in ten or twenty years' time".

Jeroen Candel: "This book offers inspiration for that, from farmer to consumer. There are a lot of good ideas, but we really need to speed things up. And there has to be a party that takes control of it. That is where the government has an important role to play, to take the lead in the transition to a more sustainable, healthier and fairer food system".

“The book is currently only available in Dutch. We have found there is quite some demand for a translation, so we will work on that”,  says Jeroen Candel.

The book 'Tien miljard monden' will be available in local Dutch bookshops starting on 16 October (World Food Day).

wur.nl