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Poverty and malnutrition hotspots are moving from rural to urban communities, as Africa is urbanizing. The population in cities and countries are faced with the coexistence of overweight, obesity, micronutrient deficiency and undernourishment, the so-called ‘triple’ burden of malnutrition. The question on Who is affected and Why are they affected remains unclear. The project ‘NOURICITY’ sought to answer these questions by engaging in a chain of multi-stakeholder participatory events and fieldwork meant to deliver a blueprint for partnerships seeking to improve urban nutrition in Africa. The project aimed to improve urban nutrition in Uganda by bridging knowledge gaps about its systemic and individual drivers and by developing partnerships for improved nutrition in urban areas.

This report is part of the WUR flagship project Circularity by Design, embedded within the strategic investment theme Connected Circularity. The project aims to apply (re)design principles to develop a sustainable agri-food system within the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. In our previous report (D1.1 Circularity by Design Framework) we outlined a framework for Circularity by Design (CbD), broadening the vision of what circularity entails by moving beyond the closing of material and energy loops to include the social dimensions, a food systems perspective, and deep leverage points for transformation. In this report, we build on the framework by taking a closer look at the governance landscape of circularity, specifically in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (MRA). The aim of the report is to gain a better understanding of how to govern transitions towards circular agri-food systems on a metropolitan level. As urban policies are embedded within regional, national and supranational (i.e. European) policies, we review the MRA governance landscape within that wider context. We start by giving a clarification of terms (1.1) and a short literature review of circular city governance in a global context (1.2.1). We then review some of the existing policies to govern circularity at the European level (1.2.2). After sketching this wider context, we map the governance landscape of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (1.3 and 1.4). Our report closes with a stakeholder inventory (1.5). We can conclude that the autonomy and creativity that cities possess to determine bold new circular food strategies is shaped by the multi-scalar governance processes that they are situated in – national circular economy agenda, governing style (hands on or hands off), and by EU Legislation. For this reason, it is critical that cities engage in bottom up participatory processes that help them to articulate a normative vision of circularity that is rooted in local needs, assets, cultures, and desires – rather than copying and pasting from the EU and Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) policy play book. We believe circularity by design can guide such a process and support diverse stakeholders to develop their own roadmaps.

Research into socio-economic effects of source and nature restoration measures of the Nitrogen and Nature Improvement programme. The themes Living environment and housing, Health, Society and Environment score positively for the majority of the measures. The themes Material prosperity and Subjective well-being score negatively for measures at farm level to cease livestock activities. The biggest issues with regard to feasibility are in agriculture. In the case of affordability, the effects on companies appear to be predominantly negative. The socio-economic themes have been made concrete on the basis of the broad welfare indicators, whereby the Theory of Change method has been applied for each measure. Onderzoek naar sociaaleconomische effecten van bron- en natuurherstelmaatregelen van programma Stikstof en Natuurverbetering. De thema's Leefomgeving en wonen, Gezondheid, Samenleving en Milieu scoren bij het merendeel van de maatregelen positief. De thema's Materiële welvaart en Subjectief welzijn scoren negatief bij maatregelen waarbij veehouderijactiviteiten worden beëindigd. Grootste issues met betrekking tot haalbaarheid spelen in de landbouw. Bij betaalbaarheid blijken de effecten op de bedrijven overwegend negatief. De sociaaleconomische thema's zijn geconcretiseerd aan de hand van de brede welvaartsindicatoren, waarbij per maatregel de Theory of Change-methode is toegepast.

Developing alternative protein products—based on protein sources other than regular meat—is a possible pathway to counter environmental and health burdens. However, alternative proteins are not always accepted by consumers, and more research is needed to support a shift to more alternative proteins. Prior studies have mainly focused on individual drivers and perceptions; although we expect that social norms—the perceptions of the opinions of relevant others—are highly relevant in accepting alternative proteins. Online surveys were conducted among 2461 respondents in 2015 and 2000 respondents in 2019 (cross-sectional datasets); a subsample (n = 500) responded to both surveys (longitudinal dataset). We add to the literature by (1) demonstrating the added explanatory value of social norms beyond a range of individual drivers; (2) showing that this finding holds over time, and (3) comparing the impact of social norms across different dietary consumer groups. Meat lovers and flexitarians are more prone to follow social norms whereas meat abstainers are more prone to follow their individual attitudes and values. This study highlights the relevance of investigations beyond personal variables such as personal norms and attitudes and underscores the relevance of considering the social aspects of accepting alternative proteins.

Consumer literature has looked into how consumers respond to protein alternatives, but this comparison has been haphazard. Sometimes alternatives are lumped together, sometimes individual cases are picked up and comparisons are made in various manners showing no consistency across studies. In the current chapter, we compare a range of protein alternatives against four consumer relevant dimensions: How much do they mimic or are products animal based? How heavily processed is the product? How clearly is it plant or animal based? How familiar is the protein source to consumers? Including relevant behavioral drivers of consumer acceptance for the various categories, this chapter provides an overview of how to compare various alternative proteins, and how consumer acceptance within these various categories can be understood. We found that protein alternatives often have unique profiles across all dimensions and research approaches, suggesting that understanding consumer response to different protein source requires different approaches.

In recent years, the use of insects as food and feed has gained widespread attention from industry, policy makers, the scientific community, and the general public globally. This chapter is devoted to providing insights on the current state-of-the-art around edible insects and the interlinkages among market, legislation and consumer acceptance. Future research developments are also explored.

Deze achtergrondrapportage bevat de volgende onderdelen: Achtergrondbijlage A: De keuzes van consumenten in drie landen; Achtergrondbijlage B: De gevolgde methodiek in hoofdlijnen; Achtergrondbijlage C: Verband met voorgaand onderzoek voor de ACM; Achtergrondbijlage D: Consumenten zonder aankoopbereidheid.

Against the backdrop of meat production and consumption being increasingly contested, this paper presents a narrative descriptive review of (reductions in) meat consumption in the Netherlands and Belgium with a focus on trends during the period 2010–2020. Based on household panel purchasing data and supply balance sheet data as proxies, our analysis shows that meat consumption in the Netherlands is relatively stable, based on supply balance sheet data, despite an estimated annual decrease of around 250 g per capita per year based on household panel purchasing data. Meanwhile, household purchasing panel data for Belgium show a more steady and stronger decline with an annual decrease of slightly >1 kg per capita per year over the past decade, as well as more fluctuations based on supply balance sheet data. The ‘Covid-year’ 2020 displays a distinct pattern in both countries which deserves further exploration. Both countries face growing shares of (self-declared) flexitarians (ranging from around or above 30% in Belgium to 40% or more in the Netherlands depending on the data source and its definition of flexitarians) and consumers who claim to intend reducing their meat consumption in the future. The analysis reveals important differences in research methodologies, sample compositions, and analytical techniques. Such differences raise caveats for direct comparison between countries and impose challenges for the (European) monitoring of the so-called ‘protein transition’. Although some change is occurring, the data suggest that meat reduction calls resonate still more in terms of people's attitudes, awareness, and intentions than in overt dietary behavioral change. Overall, our findings provide reason to conclude that the established meat-centered food system and its dominant meat-eating culture are still prevailing in the Low Countries.

An experiment was conducted in a supermarket with the aim of testing purchasing behaviour when consumers have different information: to what extent is the consumer’s choice when buying fruits and vegetables influenced by different types of information about the true price of products? In the experimental conditions, the extra information played into the redistribution of the extra funds or the social status that buying true price products can give the buyer. The study shows no effects of the intervention on purchasing behaviour. However, there are indications that we cannot or should not interpret these findings as strongly as they might appear at first glance and some factors do play a role in purchase intention.

Worldwide, there is an urgent need to transition towards healthier, more inclusive and sustainable foodsystems. Informal businesses play a critical role in food supply chains, from food production to consumption. Yet, despite their potential, the role of these businesses is generally not recognised – meaning they are insufficiently included in efforts to improve livelihoods, the environment and the safety and accessibility of healthy food. Traders, street vendors and transporters – known as informal midstream businesses – play a critical role in food systems in the Global South, providing affordable food to low-income households. However, negative impacts relating to these businesses may occur as a result of unregulated activities, e.g.,poor working conditions, operating outside of regulation food safety policies, and lack of knowledge around and incentives to enforce adequate hygiene standards. Knowledge on effective approaches to reach out and include informal businesses in enhancing food system outcomes and reducing negative impacts is lacking.This is leading to missed opportunities in achieving zero hunger – Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) 2 and other SDGs. There is a need for improved understanding of the motivations, organisation and governance of informal businesses, so policies and interventions can be adjusted to their realities.

Ethiopia is among the countries with the highest malnutrition burdens. Dairy is of particular nutritional importance, but Ethiopian per capita consumption is low. This study investigated the drivers and barriers to dairy consumption among rural households in West Amhara, Sululta-Fitche, Adama-Assela and Hawassa–Shashemene project clusters of SNV-BRIDGE project, using a combination of a) focus group discussions with community members; b) key informant group interviews with community leaders, religious leaders and health extension workers and c) quantitative household survey data. It found that cow ownership is the main factor associated with a higher average number of days on which yogurt, milk, buttermilk and cheese is consumed by rural households. More dairy was also consumed by those who report “Improves education performance”, “Good for growth” and “Prevents disease” as advantages of milk consumption. For yogurt, two factors were found to be associated with dairy consumption frequency. Firstly, respondents who reported “gives energy” as an advantage of consuming yogurt consumed more yogurt than those who did not report this advantage. Secondly, respondents that reported that they didn’t know about disadvantages consume less yogurt. The study concludes that efforts to increase dairy consumption in rural communities should promote cow ownership first, having the largest short-term benefit as the market does not (yet) form an alternative source. However, cow ownership should not be promoted without addressing the issue of the availability of animal feed. Respondents in general were aware of the fact that dairy has health benefits, but still experience a need for nutritional information. Specifically, there appear to be knowledge gaps regarding populations with special nutritional needs and regarding products where there was disagreement on healthiness (especially whey and yoghurt).

Deze nota geeft een overzicht van de vleesconsumptie per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland in de jaren 2005-2021. Het totale verbruik van vlees en vleeswaren per hoofd van de bevolking in Nederland ligt in 2021 op 76,1 kg (op basis van karkasgewicht). Dit betekent dat de daling in 2020 met bijna 2 kg ten opzichte van 2019 zich vrijwel heeft gehandhaafd in het ‘tweede coronajaar’ 2021. De hedendaagse cijfers blijven zodoende duidelijk op afstand van cijfers uit pre-coronajaren. De lichte toename in 2021 ten opzichte van 2020 wordt veroorzaakt door kleine stijgingen in het verbruik van roodvlees (varken en rund) terwijl witvlees (kip en gevogelte) een geringe daling laat zien.

Two kinds of initiatives exist to ensure welfare in broiler production: welfare legislation, where all broiler production in a country or region must comply with legally defined welfare standards; and market driven initiatives, where part of the production must meet specific welfare standards and is sold with a particular label, typically at a price premium, or as part of minimum welfare standards defined by a retailer, a fast-food chain or the like. While the effects of national legislation may be undermined by price competition from lower welfare imported products, the effects of market driven initiatives may be limited by lack of willingness from consumers to pay the extra cost. To investigate how this works out in practice, we compared broiler welfare requirements in 5 European countries, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Sweden, in 2018, by means of the Benchmark method. A number of welfare dimensions, covering the input features typically modified in broiler welfare initiatives, were defined. A total of 27 academic welfare experts (response rate 75%) valued the different levels within each dimension on a 0 to 10 scale, and then weighted the relative contribution of each dimension to overall welfare on a 1 to 5 scale. By combining these values and weights with an inventory of existing welfare initiatives, the additional welfare generated by each initiative was calculated. Together with information on national coverage of each initiative, the Benchmark score for each country's production and consumption of chicken meat was calculated. Sweden achieved a much higher Benchmark for national production due to higher legal standards than any of the four other countries. The Netherlands, on the other hand, achieved a Benchmark for national consumption of chicken at the same level as that found in Sweden, because market driven initiatives complemented more welfare-limited Dutch legislation. So, despite some uncertainties in the Benchmark method, it appears that market driven initiatives can have a strong impact on improving broiler welfare, building on those standards achieved by animal welfare legislation.

The PPP RENEW (side and residual streams for Eco feed application in the Netherlands, with specific attention for the design of circular food systems and consumer acceptance) was launched in February 2021. The project is a public private partnership and its aim is to design and valorise Eco feed concepts. Eco feed is conceptualized as a circular feed product for non ruminant animals, based on side and residual streams collected from retail and foodservice outlets. In this project, we consider only Eco feed for pigs and poultry (layers and broilers). The research focuses on 3 main research questions (RQs): RQ.1) Which conditions are necessary to create a positive business case for Eco Feed in the Netherlands, from economic, environmental and animal welfare point of view? RQ.2) Which conditions are necessary to create consumer and food value chain acceptance of Eco feed products? RQ.3) Which scenarios contribute to the development of Eco feed concepts? This report presents the findings on task 1.1 in RENEW (related to RQ.1) and addresses the analysis of economic conditions in the business case for eco feed. In collaboration with the private partners, a set of options and selection criteria have been formulated and visualised in a process scheme from sourcing of suitable streams at catering level, towards collection & processing within feed production and delivery of feed at farm level. An estimation has been made of associated costs and benefits for the different steps in the process scheme, with the option to model outcomes for different scenarios of feed composition and targeted animals. A comparison has been made to conventional feed.

This report is part of the WUR flagship project Circularity by Design, embedded within the strategic investment theme Connected Circularity. The project aims to apply (re)design principles to develop a sustainable agri-food system within the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. In our previous report (D1.1 Circularity by Design Framework) we outlined a framework for Circularity by Design (CbD), broadening the vision of what circularity entails by moving beyond the closing of material and energy loops to include the social dimensions, a food systems perspective, and deep leverage points for transformation. In this report, we build on the framework by taking a closer look at the governance landscape of circularity, specifically in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (MRA). The aim of the report is to gain a better understanding of how to govern transitions towards circular agri-food systems on a metropolitan level. As urban policies are embedded within regional, national and supranational (i.e. European) policies, we review the MRA governance landscape within that wider context. We start by giving a clarification of terms (1.1) and a short literature review of circular city governance in a global context (1.2.1). We then review some of the existing policies to govern circularity at the European level (1.2.2). After sketching this wider context, we map the governance landscape of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (1.3 and 1.4). Our report closes with a stakeholder inventory (1.5). We can conclude that the autonomy and creativity that cities possess to determine bold new circular food strategies is shaped by the multi-scalar governance processes that they are situated in – national circular economy agenda, governing style (hands on or hands off), and by EU Legislation. For this reason, it is critical that cities engage in bottom up participatory processes that help them to articulate a normative vision of circularity that is rooted in local needs, assets, cultures, and desires – rather than copying and pasting from the EU and Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) policy play book. We believe circularity by design can guide such a process and support diverse stakeholders to develop their own roadmaps.

A table was composed with options for ammonia reduction from organic pig houses. Compared to the present situation, it is important to prevent pen fouling and to reduce emissions from the manure pit. The different options show potential reductions of ammonia emission varying from approx. 20 to 55%.

An experiment was conducted in a supermarket with the aim of testing purchasing behaviour when consumers have different information: to what extent is the consumer’s choice when buying fruits and vegetables influenced by different types of information about the true price of products? In the experimental conditions, the extra information played into the redistribution of the extra funds or the social status that buying true price products can give the buyer. The study shows no effects of the intervention on purchasing behaviour. However, there are indications that we cannot or should not interpret these findings as strongly as they might appear at first glance and some factors do play a role in purchase intention. Wat beweegt consumenten om voor de Echte Prijs te kiezen? Voor deze studie is dit afgebakend tot het element van informatie en is een experiment in een supermarkt uitgevoerd met als doel om aankoopgedrag te testen onder verschillende informatiecondities: in welke mate wordt de keuze van de consument beïnvloed door verschillende typen informatie over Echte Prijs? In de experimentele condities heeft de extra informatie ingespeeld op de herverdeling van de extra gelden of op de sociale status die het kopen van Echte Prijs-producten de koper kan geven. Op basis van kassadata en survey laat deze zien dat er geen effecten van de interventie op aankoopgedrag waarneembaar zijn en - tegelijkertijd – dat er indicaties zijn dat we deze bevindingen minder hard kunnen of moeten interpreteren dan ze op het eerste gezicht lijken en sommige factoren spelen wel degelijk een rol spelen.

This study explores the potential economic impact of the coalition agreement 2022-2025 on the Dutch dairy complex. Three scenarios towards 2030 have been analysed: a baseline scenario and two scenarios which varied in terms of the implementation speed of the policy measures and the public budget allocated to the dairy sector. The implemented scenarios were based on information derived from policy reports and budget information announced in the coalition agreement. In the baseline scenario, the herd size is projected to decreased by 0.32 million (-20.5%) and the milk volume by 2.54 million (-18.2%) in the period 2020-2030. The total value added of the dairy complex may decrease by 1.37 billion euros. Based on the assessment of the scenarios, key factors, potential bottlenecks and side effects of the coalition agreement are discussed.

Conventional meat consumption has triggered an environmental burden along with effects on different disease spectrums according to existing research. The dietary patterns adopted by consumers significantly impact both planetary and individual health. Interventions are needed to support the protein transition. However, there is not yet an overview of interventions towards acceptance of novel proteins available. This systemic review highlights different varieties of alternative proteins and interventions adopted to increase the acceptance of alternative protein sources. Educational intervention, persuasion, training, and modeling approaches are summarized in this review. Furthermore, behavioral models triggering the consumer’s response towards different alternative proteins are also discussed. The systemic review highlights that consumer acceptance varies among different alternative proteins. Food choice motives, familiarity, food neophobia, disgust, and cultural norms are among the various drivers of consumer acceptance. A comparison of these drivers indicates inconsistencies, presenting the need for future research.

Partijen in de voedselproductieketen hebben behoefte aan betrouwbare informatie voor het optimaliseren van hun processen en producten. Bedrijven kunnen daarmee efficiënter, veiliger en duurzamer voedsel produceren en hun bedrijfsvoering verder digitaliseren. Consumenten hebben behoefte aan betrouwbare informatie om onderbouwde keuzes te maken voor betaalbare, gezonde en veilige voedselproducten, die duurzaam en eerlijk zijn geproduceerd. Het project Trusted Source werd opgezet om te onderzoeken hoe data (beter) ontsloten, gedeeld en gebruikt kan worden, om met behulp van die inzichten meer transparantie in de keten te bereiken. Tijdens de looptijd van bijna vijf jaar werd vanuit vijf verschillende praktijksituaties (pilots) gericht gekeken naar waar en hoe ketentransparantie bevorderd kan worden. Trusted Source heeft vanuit verschillende invalshoeken bijgedragen aan meer bewustwording van (het belang van) data uitwisseling, en aan meer betrokkenheid van ketenpartijen bij het realiseren van transparantie. Voor specifieke doelen in ketentransparantie werden relevante partijen samen om tafel gebracht, en werd met hen het datalandschap in kaart gebracht. Hieruit werd duidelijk hoe vraag en aanbod van keteninformatie beter op elkaar afgestemd kunnen worden. Ook leidde het tot inzicht in hoe huidige standaarden voor informatie-uitwisseling (beter) benut of verbeterd kunnen worden. Samen met de betrokken bedrijven heeft Trusted Source op een aantal terreinen een impuls kunnen geven aan de (verdere) ontwikkeling en inzet van informatiestandaarden. Daarnaast werden vanuit Trusted Source bijdragen geleverd aan methodes waarmee duurzaamheid en gezondheid van voedselproducten in kaart gebracht kan worden. Dit leidde indirect tot Kamervragen over het voedselaanbod in de Nederlandse supermarkten. Ook werd met succes geëxperimenteerd met moderne informatietechnologie en kunstmatige intelligentie, waarmee zowel de uitwisseling als de verwerking van keteninformatie op grotere schaal (o.a. voor inzicht in duurzaamheid) kan verbeteren. Vanuit de ervaringen in Trusted Source wordt aanbevolen om in de toekomst te blijven werken aan ketentransparantie, en dan met name aan het verder vergroten van draagvlak voor informatieuitwisseling, het verbeteren van de huidige informatiestandaarden en -infrastructuren richting meer interoperabiliteit, hogere datakwaliteit en verdere mogelijkheden voor automatisering. Tot slot blijft het belangrijk te werken aan een betere afstemming tussen de informatiebehoefte van de overheid, en de databeschikbaarheid, de infrastructuren en standaarden in de keten.

Research into socio-economic effects of source and nature restoration measures of the Nitrogen and Nature Improvement programme. The themes Living environment and housing, Health, Society and Environment score positively for the majority of the measures. The themes Material prosperity and Subjective well-being score negatively for measures at farm level to cease livestock activities. The biggest issues with regard to feasibility are in agriculture. In the case of affordability, the effects on companies appear to be predominantly negative. The socio-economic themes have been made concrete on the basis of the broad welfare indicators, whereby the Theory of Change method has been applied for each measure.

The war in Ukraine and related sanctions are affecting the cost of agricultural production and the yield prices of agricultural products. There is a need for government and industry to estimate the effects of this on the incomes of entrepreneurs in the agricultural sectors. This study provides an update of the inventory of the possible income effects carried out in April 2022 on various subsectors within the primary agriculture sector.

(1) Background: The aim of the current study is to investigate which between- and within-person factors influence the acceptance of personalized dietary advice. (2) Methods: A repeated measurements design was used in which 343 participants (M (SD) age = 48 (17.3), 49% female) filled out a baseline survey and started with nine repeated surveys. (3) Results: The results show that the acceptance of personalized dietary advice is influenced by both within-person and between-person factors. The acceptance is higher at lunch compared to breakfast and dinner, higher at home than out of home, higher at moments when individuals have a high intention to eat healthily, find weight control an important food choice motive and have a high healthy-eating self-efficacy. Moreover, the acceptance is higher when individuals do not see the eating context as a barrier and when individuals believe that personalized dietary advice has more benefits than risks. (4) Conclusions: Future behavioral interventions that use personalized dietary advice should consider the context as well as individual differences.

The general objective of the study can be split in two: - Establish a comprehensive state of play on the transport of unweaned calves on long (> 8 hours) journeys in the EU, which would help to assess the current system. - Identify current practices at both EU and national level, including those aiming at replacing, reducing or refining transport of unweaned calves. Gather data and analyse costs and benefits of these practices and, based on the collected evidence, identify possible best practices. To achieve these objectives 3 themes were identified: 1. State of play in the transport of unweaned non-replacement dairy calves over long journeys 2. Identification and analysis of existing alternatives 3. Assessment of alternatives and identification of best practices.

In de PPS ‘Implementatie van voedingsinterventies in intramurale zorginstellingen en horeca’ is samen met de partners real life onderzoek gedaan naar de mogelijkheden om gezonder te eten. Op basis van wetenschappelijke inzichten en vooral de eigen ervaring in de praktijk van alledag hebben we verschillende interventies in 11 casussen in intramurale zorginstellingen, horeca, kinderdagverblijven en scholen ontwikkeld, getest en geëvalueerd.We hebben daarbij gekeken naar effecten op de consumptie van gezonder voedsel en we hebben ook de effecten voor de medewerkers die de interventies uitvoeren onderzocht.

Background The parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) causes a substantial human disease burden worldwide. Ingesting improperly cooked pork containing T. gondii is considered one of the major sources of human infection in Europe and North America. Consequently, control of T. gondii infections in pigs is warranted. The European Food Safety Authority advised to perform serological monitoring of pigs and to conduct farm audits for the presence of risk factors. Serological monitoring was implemented in several Dutch slaughterhouses, one to six blood samples (a total of 5134 samples) were taken from each delivery of finishing pigs and samples were tested for the presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies. Using these test results, a cross-sectional study was initiated to assess the association between the within-herd T. gondii seroprevalence and the presence of risk factors for T. gondii infections at 69 conventional finishing pig farms in the Netherlands. Results A multivariable model showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) association with twelve potential risk factors: type of farm, presence of dogs, presence of ruminants, use of boots, use of shower and farm clothing, mode of rodent control, bedding accessibility for rodents, presence of cats, type of drinking water, heating of the feed, use of goat whey and shielding of birds. Conclusions Serological monitoring of finishing pigs for T. gondii in slaughterhouses can be used to identify the presence of T. gondii risk factors on Dutch conventional finishing pig farms and seems a valuable tool to guide and monitor the control of T. gondii in pork production.

Transitions in consumer diets towards a more ‘meat-less’ diet are stated to result in various health and environmental benefits. Consumption of alternative proteins provides one of the alternatives towards more meat-less diets. Alternative proteins receive a lot of attention, however it is unclear whether consumer acceptance is changing over time. Moreover, changing consumers’ dietary habits is harsh. The current study explores with a longitudinally study whether trends are visible in consumer acceptance of alternative proteins, and which drivers are relevant to understand acceptance of alternative proteins over time. An online survey was conducted in the Netherlands resulting in two types of samples: a longitudinal sample (500 respondents) that answered the same survey in 2015 and 2019, and cross-sectional samples that answered the survey in 2015 (2,461 respondents) or in 2019 (2,000 respondents). The survey addressed a range of possible drivers, including personal norms, food innovation traits (i.e. food neophobia and domain-specific innovativeness), food-choice motives and positive and negative emotions. Respondents were randomly divided into five groups and presented with specific questions on: fish, seaweed, insects, legumes and cultured meat. The results reveal an increase in the intention to consume seaweed, legumes, and cultured meat over time, though self-reported consumption remains stable indicating an intention-behaviour gap. Positive emotions appear to be the most relevant driver for intention (beyond all other included variables), and intentions in turn are the most relevant driver of consumption. Thus indicating the relevance of positive emotions as joy, content and pride. Implicating that interventions, promotions and communications should not only focus on cognitive added values as environmental impact though also include affective communication messages, e.g., consumption of alternative proteins feels good.

This study explores the potential economic impact of the coalition agreement 2022-2025 on the Dutch dairy complex. Three scenarios towards 2030 have been analysed: a baseline scenario and two scenarios which varied in terms of the implementation speed of the policy measures and the public budget allocated to the dairy sector. The implemented scenarios were based on information derived from policy reports and budget information announced in the coalition agreement. In the baseline scenario, the herd size is projected to decreased by 0.32 million (-20.5%) and the milk volume by 2.54 million (-18.2%) in the period 2020-2030. The total value added of the dairy complex may decrease by 1.37 billion euros. Based on the assessment of the scenarios, key factors, potential bottlenecks and side effects of the coalition agreement are discussed. In deze studie is verkend wat de potentiële economische impact van het coalitieakkoord 2022-2025 is op het zuivelcomplex. Er zijn drie scenario’s richting 2030 doorgerekend: een basisscenario en twee scenario’s waarin is gevarieerd met het budget dat is toegewezen aan de melkveehouderij en de snelheid waarin de maatregelen worden genomen. De scenario’s zijn afgeleid van de aangekondigde maatregelen en budgetten in het coalitieakkoord en mede gebaseerd op een analyse van beleidsrapporten. In het basisscenario neemt het aantal melkkoeien af met 0,32 miljoen (-20,5%) en het melkvolume met 2,54 miljard kg (-18,2%) in de periode 2020-2030. De toegevoegde waarde van het zuivelcomplex daalt met 1,37 miljard euro. Op basis van de scenario’s zijn de bepalende factoren, mogelijke knelpunten en neveneffecten van het coalitieakkoord bediscussieerd.

This research focuses on making recommendations for the development of a Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Ecosystem in Kentucky. As an approach, a desk study was conducted, a large number of experts interviewed, and a field visit to the Netherlands was made. The desk study consists of an analysis of learning experiences of the Dutch CEA ecosystem and an analysis of the Kentucky CEA Ecosystem through a cluster analysis of the horticultural complex, using the Triple Helix model and Porter’s Five Forces. For this purpose, six Dutch agrocluster experts were interviewed and six stakeholders active in the Kentucky horticultural supply chain. In addition, the Knowledge System in Kentucky was examined using the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System approach by interviewing 29 local experts. The results were translated into 10 recommendations elaborated into more than 30 actions for the development of the CEA ecosystem in Kentucky.