In February 2025, I was invited to speak to the team at GreenDish, a Utrecht-based consultancy, about the future of circular food systems. GreenDish focuses on enhancing the sustainability and healthiness of food services in public institutions such as municipal offices and hospitals, as well as in private-sector settings like restaurants and hotels. Their work […]
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Published open access in Food Policy in November 2024. The research presented in this paper was supported by the EU Horizon project FUSILLI under grant agreement No. 101000717. View full text here. Title Small wins in practice: Learnings from 16 European initiatives working towards the transformation of urban food systems Abstract In this study, we […]
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In October 2024, I participated in FoodRevolution 2024 – a conference that focused on a holistic approach towards the future of food. The three day conference explored the interconnections between sustainability, safety, and health via lively panel discussions, research presentations, and lectures by renowned experts. During the session on food waste, I gave an invited […]
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Powered by Enactus Netherlands, Popping Bubbles is a podcast series that brings together academics and entrepreneurs committed to achieving sustainable development goals. Hosts Stefan and Liza chat with their guests about what it takes to achieve these goals, how the guests leading the charge in their respective fields, and students and other young people can […]
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From 16th – 18th October 2024, Wageningen Centre of Sustainability Governance organised a conference entitled ‘Governing Sustainable Transformations’. The central theme of the conference centred around the questions: Can sustainability transformation be governed? And if so by whom, what and how? As part of the thematic session ‘Evaluating Sustainable Transformations’, I presented the outcomes of […]
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From October to November 2024, I tutored for the course Managing Science and Technology in Society. An advanced introduction to the academic field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), the course allowed second year Master’s students to study the interactions of science and technology with society, and the various ways in which they mutually shape […]
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In Spetember 2024, I participated in the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics’ conference ‘EurSafe2024’. This year’s theme was the ethics of novel food production and consumption scenarios. This included proposals to address the vulnerability of food systems, the environmental impact of food production, and long-term impact of climate change on food security and […]
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For Coffee Intelligence, I was interviewed by the author of this article (Sarah Charles) about my perspective on using science and research-backed claims for coffee marketing. The article is a blend of the author’s own ideas and my reflections. The article was published on the Coffee Intelligence website in August 2024. The marriage of science […]
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Written for eufic.org. Published in August 2024. In Europe and around the world, the safety and regulatory status of glyphosate, a commonly employed herbicide, remain subjects of ongoing debate. Despite its effectiveness in weed control and utility in modern agriculture, concerns persist about its presence in food and potential health risks. While conflicting conclusions emerge […]
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Written for eufic.org. Published in August 2024. As the population grows and agricultural land remains limited, it is important to ensure that farms are as productive as they can be. In modern agriculture, pesticides are critical for the productivity of farming systems and for safeguarding consumers from the ill effects of pest-damaged foods. However, if used in […]
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Madhura Rao 