Category Archives: General

General issues.

Master thesis and internship possibilities: INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY IN THE PYRENEES

Posted on by

The project takes place in a little mountain village in the Spanish Pyrenees. The question is formulated by a Dutch woman who lives and works in this village. 

The central question is: How can agriculture, in a little mountain village in the Spanish Pyrenees, be developed in a way that meets the circumstances and needs of today?

This particular mountain village has been abandoned for fifty years. The association ‘Muro de Solana’ (http://murodesolana.org/) is dedicated to bring it back to life.

Pyreneeen

The means of living here used to be cattle breeding and farming, mainly producing potatoes and wheat. Since many people have left, the once cultivated fields have been replanted with pine trees. The terrain  has small fields and difficult access and also a lack of water supply. The village used to have only a few  hectares of farming fields, however, for this project they consider an area between 1-10 hectares. A true challenge!

Rather than going back to the old means of agriculture the association looks for innovative ways of farming which meet the circumstances and needs of today. This means the development of farming practices which improve the soil quality, are less intense in labour, produce products based on demands, and reconstruct the current forest fields.

The research results can be an inspiring example for other (semi-)abandoned villages in the North of Spain, giving villages an source of income, as well as providing reduced risks of forest fires.

Main goal is to regenerate forest farming fields, now poor in biodiversity and with the risk of forest fires (due to the planted pine trees), into useful, productive and fertile terrain.

There is no deadline for this project.

Contact person: lummina.horlings@wur.nl

Master thesis and internship possibilities: DEVELOPING AN ECOLOGICAL AND SELF-SUSTAINING WATERSYSTEM

Posted on by

The project takes place in a little mountain village in the Spanish Pyrenees. The question is formulated by a Dutch woman who lives and works in this village.

The central question is: how can an ecological and self-sustaining water system be created?

The main goal is to design such a water system, which is reliable as well as usable in practice.

This particular mountain village has been abandoned for fifty years. The association ‘Muro de Solana’ (http://murodesolana.org/) is dedicated to bring it back to life. In former days rain water was captured and water was also transported with the help of donkeys from a well, at a distance of one km at a lower altitude then the village. There never was any kind of drainage, piping or water from the tap.

This investigation includes a variety of issues. These issues can also be addressed in separate studies.

– Capturing water, from the well and of rain water

– Storage, safe and maintaining the quality of water

– Distribution

– Discharge

– Purification of the water

– Re-use of purified water

The terrain of the Pyrenees has difficult access and no electricity. Electricity provision depends on sun- and water-energy. It used to be a village for four big families with cattle breeding and farming. Now the association is looking for establishing a water system for 3-4 households and a 200 m2 vegetable garden which is ecological, self-sustaining and meets the production standards of today.

This research results could be an example for other (semi) abandoned villages in the North of Spain. There are many villages in similar situations and the lack any kind of water system is a big problem.

There is a strict deadline for the realization, but this can be negotiated with the government and local council. For the authorities the water system is of great importance for the development of the village.

Contact person: lummina.horlings@wur.nl

Global nutrient fight: micronutrients and geopolitics – lecture and debate December 10

Posted on by

Will monopolies, cartels and export restrictions define the future of your food?

RUW foundation will explore the world of the micronutrients in a lecture and debate featuring Wouter van der Weijden (director of CLM), Ellis Hoffland (WUR) en Petra Berkhout (LEI).

Venue: December 10, 2013 in the  Grand Café of the Forum building, starting at 19.30.

Free entrance and drinks afterwards.

GeopoliticsMicronutrients are irreplaceable and are essential for plant, animal and human health. Only about 4% of the world’s micronutrient stocks can be found in the EU (Platform LIS,2012). In the near future Europe will become dependent on other countries, including China, Chili, US, Turkey and Peru for the supply of micronutrients such as selenium and zinc for its agriculture. Find out how borders and international relations influence the struggle for micronutrient supply, how it will affect our food production and what options the EU has to ensure the availability of micronutrients.

PUREFOOD final conference: Save the Date!

Posted on by

PUREFOOD logoOn 14 and 15 May 2014 the city of Utrecht (the Netherlands) will host us for the final PUREFOOD conference. The conference is organised in cooperation with the ‘Day of Dutch Urban Agriculture’ (Dag van de Stadslandbouw), which will be held on Thursday 15th of May in The Fabrique in Utrecht and attracts yearly around 500 people. The PUREFOOD project will contribute to organising 9 international sessions on Thursday. The PUREFOOD conference will start with a meet & greet on Tuesday evening at a special location in Utrecht. On Wednesday morning there is an interesting programme, in English only, where we will listen, discuss, brainstorm, present and network with a selected group of people (therefore: limited places available!). In the afternoon we will explore Utrecht and its surroundings to see, hear, feel and taste some of the fabulous products developed in the region.

The full programme of the conference, including speakers and other interesting people, will be available soon. Keep an eye on the weblog of the PUREFOOD project: www.purefoodlinks.eu.

New to the Rural Sociology Group: Introducing myself

Posted on by

I have been here in Wageningen and at the Rural Sociology Group for two weeks now so it only seems appropriate that I introduce myself.  I’m Jessica Duncan and I have been hired to teach courses in food cultures and food policy.

Conducting field work with women pastoralists in Gujarat, India (Summer 2012)

Conducting field work with women pastoralists in Gujarat, India (Summer 2012)

My teaching philosophy is based on the awareness of the central role food plays in socio-cultural and economic issues and across political discourse at all levels. Using food – with its physical, emotional and symbolic resonance – as a lens, allows us to approach complex problems and search for solutions that can impact our lives and the lives of others. I work hard to create a space where students feel encouraged to test ideas and tackle difficult questions with new concepts. Above all, I teach because I love to learn.

From 2008 to 2013 I worked in the Department of Food Systems, Culture and Society at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) in Barcelona. Here I developed and taught courses on research methods, food governance, and contemporary issues in food studies. I also supervised a broad range of post-graduate research students on topics related to food cultures and food security. The international nature of the programme gave me the chance to interact with students from around the world on key issues related to the study of food.

Continue reading →