FLEVO CAMPUS AND ALMERE

In the middle of the former Floriade site stands the iconic Natural Pavilion. A textbook example of circular construction, it consists entirely of recycled and reusable materials. The building almost blends into its green surroundings and the surrounding water. Inside, the high ceilings, wooden beams and glass walls immediately catch the eye. It doesn't get greener than this. It is therefore logical that the Flevo Campus has chosen this place as its home base. Urban agriculture, sustainability and innovation come together here: a perfect base from which to work on the future of our food from Almere.

As creative content manager, Janno Lanjouw has been closely involved in the food transition for years and has worked at the Flevo Campus since its inception in 2018: "Our goal is to ensure that we eat healthier and more sustainable food. This is extremely important, because our current food system has had its day. It is not only unhealthy for people, but also for nature and the climate".

A healthy challenge

Indeed, the facts don't lie. More than half of the Dutch are heavier than is good for them. Overweight is also on the rise among young people. In Almere, even 1 in 5 children is overweight, increasing the risk of physical or mental complaints. At the same time, the climate, biodiversity and the environment are under great pressure because of all the efforts we have to make to keep the supermarkets filled. Janno: "If we want our children to continue eating delicious and healthy food, we really have to start eating differently. That's why the Flevo Campus focuses not only on producing better and more sustainable food, but also on what it takes to actually start eating that food."

"Production is not the biggest issue. The key lies mainly with the consumer".

A taste of the future

There are more and more initiatives focusing on food innovation and local food systems. Flevo Campus is unique because it not only emphasises techniques to develop more sustainable and healthier healthy products, but pays at least as much attention to the psychological side of the food transition. Janno: "Most people know quite well that they eat too much sweet, too salty and too fatty food. Yet it remains difficult to choose healthy alternatives. This is not only because it is often more expensive, but also because we are not used to it or don't like it. That is why we do a lot of research into consumer behaviour and taste. How do we ensure that healthy food becomes the norm again and that people also enjoy it?".

Almere ideal breeding ground

It is clear why Almere is the perfect place for Flevo Campus. As a young city, it offers plenty of opportunities for startups, researchers and students working on food issues. Almere's location is also a big advantage for Flevo Campus. Janno: "On one side is the busy Randstad, where urbanisation is increasing and more and more residents need food. On the other side is the Flevopolder, an area precisely designed to feed urban populations. This gives Almere access to a huge sales market as well as high-quality agriculture. The fertile clay soil of the Flevopolders has made the province one of the most advanced and productive agricultural regions in the world. For instance, about half of the onions exported by the Netherlands come from Flevoland. And that's not nothing, as the Netherlands is the world's largest onion exporter. As an exporter, we also have a highly developed logistics and distribution network that we can also use for local food supply. All this makes Almere an ideal breeding ground for setting up short, sustainable food chains."

Municipality of Almere as ally

Together with the province of Flevoland, Wageningen University and Aeres Hogeschool, the municipality of Almere is the initiator of Flevo Campus. Moreover, as one of the few municipalities in the Netherlands, Almere has had its own food strategy since 2021. Janno: "We cooperate intensively with the municipality and know how to find each other well. The municipality of Almere is one of the few in the country that really works on the food transition by, for example, promoting healthy food in schools and supporting urban agriculture in Oosterwold. That is an important support for us."

The sign of the future

The food transition is a complex process that affects all kinds of target groups. Not only food companies, distributors, but also supermarkets, students, policymakers, restaurants and consumers. The Flevo Campus pulls out all the stops to get the food transition going and bring everyone along with it.

Recently, for instance, much attention has been paid to the comeback of the bean. Janno: "In recent decades, people have started eating more and more so-called animal proteins. Proteins are an important part of a healthy diet. But animal proteins - from meat, fish or dairy - are very environmentally damaging and not animal-friendly. Therefore, it is important that we increasingly start getting our proteins from plant sources. Beans are enormously rich in protein but are eaten less and less. That's a real shame, because they offer a sustainable and healthy alternative to meat, fish and dairy. That is why Flevo Campus, together with entrepreneurs, researchers from Wageningen University, students from Aeres and concerned citizens, conducted extensive research into the poor image of the bean, and how to get the Netherlands to eat beans again. Its results appeared in the white paper The Bean Revolution."

Cross-fertilisation of education and business

To stimulate innovation in the food system, the Flevo Campus needs (young) talent that brings new knowledge and perspectives. The Voucher Program gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to take innovative ideas to the next level. After all, companies do not always have the capacity to research and test themselves. Something Flevo Campus is happy to help companies with. This program gives companies the opportunity to apply for knowledge vouchers. They can use these to have researchers from renowned research institutes such as Aeres Hogeschool or Wageningen University conduct research and thus contribute to new, practical solutions within the food and agriculture sector. Some concrete innovations that have emerged from this program include a water-saving vegetable washing machine, an improved method for cod processing and a beer brewed entirely with local, unmalted grain.