Author Archives: Dirk Roep

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About Dirk Roep

I have retired as Assistant professor at the Rural Sociology Group of Wageningen University. I continue though to be involved in various initiatives and research on different modes of regenerative agriculture, food provisioning and place-based development.

Internship: diversification strategies of farmers in peri-urban Amstelland

Aside

Amstelland is a traditional meadow landscape, dominated by dairy farming, and framed on three sides by the cities of Amsterdam and Amstelveen. The vicinity of the city offers threats and opportunities for farmers in Amstelland. The area is intensively used for recreation.

Citizen organisation Stichting Beschermers Amstelland (SBA) is concerned with the future of the area. SBA presumes that preservation of the landscape is connected to economic sustainability of the farms. For that reason SBA is interested in the strategies of farmers towards diversification and pluri-activity. A number of farmers already have added multifunctional activities to their conventional farm. Most farmers are member in the environmental cooperative De Amstel and take agri-environmental measures. Some farmers have started a B&B or sell products on farm. The peri-urban situation leads to high land prices, slowing down opportunities for farm enlargement. As a result, more farmers are likely to consider diversification and pluri-activity as an alternative strategy.

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International Master Sciences of Rural Development (IMRD) – Application open till March 15 2015

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IMRD Programme

IMRD Programme

Wageningen University is partner is the International Master of Science in Rural Development (IMRD) and providing an advanced module in Sociology of Rural Development in the 3rd semester.  Students can subsequently do their MSc-thesis in Wageningen. Till March 15 2015 students can apply for a scholarship. See the IMRD website for more information.

Origin Food: a market for identity – course starts March 16 2015

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Monday March 16 2015 we will again start with the course RSO-21806 Origin Food: a market for identity.

Montbeliarde cheese made by the Meester Affineurs nearby Wageningen

Montbeliarde cheese made by the Meester Affineurs nearby Wageningen

The main aim of the course is to provide for a broad and scientific understanding of the growing importance of food products with an indication of origin within the globalising agro-food system. The course is obligatory in the specialisation Gastronomy of the Master Food Technology. No specific prerequisite knowledge is asked. The course is open to students from other Masters. Different educational backgrounds is stimulating for an interdisciplinary study of Origin Food Products in groups.

Food products with a geographical indication are becoming more important worldwide, both in economic and cultural terms. In the course a distinction is made between Origing Food Products with a protected Geographical Indication (PDO, PGI or TSG) based on EU-regulations such as Parma ham, Boerenleidse kaas, Café de Colombia and not officially acknowledged Origin Food Products locally sourced by e.g. restaurants, shops or online box schemes.

The course deals with a range of questions on OFPs organised in five themes: 1) Linking people, place and product: the construction of distinctiveness; 2) Regulation and legislation; 3) Marketing and branding; 4) Sustainability impact; 5) Consumers’ appreciation, regional gastronomy and food tourism.

The course consists of a combination of lectures, group assignments to study some Origin Food Products more in detail and a gastronomic excursion, often seen the higlight of the course.

For more information you can contact Dirk Roep (dirk.roep@wur.nl).

Re-localising Food Projects in Zurich

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Matt Reed's avatarThe Ruralist

I’ve spent the last few days in Zurich for a meeting of the SupurbFood project. Amongst the range of privileges this brings is that we get to visit different projects that are in some way shortening food chains, closing the cycles of nutrients and using land innovative ways.

Ortoloco, Zurich - peri-urban CSA with a view of an Ikea Ortoloco, Zurich – peri-urban CSA with a view of an Ikea

We visited a range of projects in Zurich but I thought at this point I would highlight three that are relevant to discussions the CCRI is involved with at the moment.

As I left the UK there was much discussion of the plummeting price of milk and the future of the dairy industry. One answer to this is to change the distrubition of milk so the farmer captures more of the value and consumers get a fresher offer. At the Markthalle Vidautk (Markethall Viaduct) Conradin Flurin (@FlurinConradin) had set up a…

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