Author Archives: Els Hegger

Master thesis experience in the US

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A post by Max van Tilburg (MSc student International Development)

max

The nature of urban agriculture; initiatives in Lansing and Detroit, Michigan, United States

Urban agriculture over the past decennium has become very popular in the Western World, this brings up questions about the commonality between all these different initiatives. This question stood at the basis of my master thesis, and was translated to whether urban agriculture initiatives in Lansing and Detroit (Michigan, USA) could be seen as (being part of) a social movement.

Although the history and (organizational) background of the urban agriculture initiatives in Lansing and Detroit are very diverse, the similarity in practices, ideas and ideologies (both displayed in shared discourses and themes) was remarkably high. It turned out that community building with all its aspects is a first order concern for the initiatives, neighborhood organizations, a soup kitchen, private farmers, all practiced and expressed a major concern about working on the community.

On the overall I arrived at a point were I more or less hypothesize the same as Touraine (1998) did in his research on social movements; “that their ‘real’ purpose was a broad-based effort to oppose the corporate and government technocrats who initiated and directed most social change”.

Read more in my thesis!

Master information evening

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Yesterday evening, Dirk Roep and I informed various Master students of Wageningen University about the possibilities for doing a thesis or internship with the Rural Sociology Group. As always, it was an evening full of enthusiasm, questions and confusion. The Wageningen education system is not always easy to understand and thus difficult to make choices. The best advice we give students: think about something that makes you want to jump in the air, then you have a topic of interest (that could be something on certain themes, but also on approaches). Starting from that, look for someone that would fit that interest. Of course, you can always get some inspiration from past thesis stories or thesis possibilities in the special section of this blog. Furthermore, the various EU research projects that run at our group offer wide possibilities for doing an internship or thesis with our partners in these projects (within and outside of Europe). If you have difficulties coming up with a topic or want to get some input on your ideas, make an appointment with our education coordinator. Don’t feel lost!

SUPURBFOOD 1st International Seminar

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Vigo videoIn June, the SUPURBFOOD First International Seminar took place in Vigo (Spain). In order to contribute to improving the agro-food system’s ecological performance researchers, policymakers and SMEs from Europe and developing countries discussed the links between short food supply chains and other flows (e.g. nutrients, water, and urban waste) at the seminar. With attendance of over 60 people from 14 countries, a North-South dialogue has started on improving the agro-food system’s ecological performance.

The report on the dialogue, sharing of experiences, exchange of best practice and joint learning at the SUBURBFOOD First International Seminar aims to inspire participants and other interested readers to developing an integrated approach to urban and peri-urban food provision. By clicking on the images above, you can still watch the videos of the live streaming of the seminar. For more information on the SUPURBFOOD project and how you can participate, visit www.supurbfood.eu.

Farming styles in Mato Grosso, Brazil

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by Mateo Mier y Teran

On 11 September in Wageningen I presented my PhD research on contrasting soybean farming styles in Querência, Mato Grosso, Brazil, on the southern fringe of the Amazon rainforest. The diversity of soy farming practices brings into question the simplistic portrayal of farming by the standard narratives that advocate or condemn soybean production in Brazil (e.g. be as a success model to reproduce in African countries or as a threat to the Amazon Forest and small-scale farming). I argue that the heterogeneity of farming styles has to be acknowledge for the implementation of policies for sustainable soybean agri-food systems. Here I will like to share some thoughts that came out from the seminar, and briefly show how I used the farming styles approach (developed by Jan Douwe van der Ploeg and colleagues from the Rural Sociology Group at WUR). Continue reading →

2 Events: Free lunch & Public lecture on Food Waste

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POSTER_Food waste eventsFirst Event

Organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development & Food Security (CSD&FS) of Wageningen UR and a team of enthusiastic volunteers:
TURNING FOOD FOR BINS INTO FOOD FOR KINGS
Did you know that more than one third of the global food supply is wasted between the farm and the mouth? Imagine, if this food was eaten, nobody would be hungry in the world! After New York, Paris and London, it is now time for the agrifood-city of Wageningen to take action on this pressing issue!
On 29 September 2013, between 12.30 and 16.00, Wageningen University Campus is hosting an event on food waste in front of the Orion building. There will be a warm, FREE LUNCH for 500 people, made from food that would normally be wasted! Mind you, a carrot that Continue reading →