VU Amsterdam has become a partner of Next Food Collective, an organisation that unites the entire agro-food industry to launch and implement impactful initiatives to accelerate the transition to a healthy and sustainable food system.

“The partnership between VU Amsterdam and Next Food Collective marks a shared ambition towards a healthier and more sustainable food production", says Bas Teusink, professor in Systems Biology and scientific director AIMMS Molecular Research Accelerator. “Many institutes at the VU do groundbreaking food-related research. The partnership with Next Food Collective provides exciting new opportunities for public-private collaborations and impactful outcomes.” Also closely involved in the Next Food Collective membership is IXA-GO, the VU department that supports collaborations between researchers and third parties.

The mission of Next Food Collective, to accelerate the transition to a healthy & sustainable food system by building and coordinating purpose-driven collaborations and identifying and overcoming communal barriers aligns perfectly with the values of the VU. The VU does groundbreaking food-related research on many different topics, from the chemistry of food fermentations, to the physical and mental health impact of nutrition, to the sustainability of food production systems, to the acceptance of novel foods and other innovation barriers. 

Next Food Collective consists of an extensive network of academic and private partners and represents a significant part of the research groups involved in the industrial and academic food ecosystem. This makes it  an important shared voice to the government, the Dutch Research Council (NWO), and other funding organisations.

Introduction
On September 5, an introductory meeting was held to festively kick off the partnership and foster mutual familiarization. Executive Board chair Margrethe Jonkman and VU's chief impact officer Davide Iannuzzi were present to support the Food initiative at the VU. Additionally, directors from various VU departments and institutes attended. On behalf of Next Food Collective, non-executive director Gerda Verburg (former Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) and the management team were present. It was a constructive and inspiring meeting. 

Marian Geluk, executive director Next Food Collective: “It was exciting to meet so many research groups at the VU that not only have excellent and specialized expertise but also bring holistic systems thinking to the table. Our joint challenge will be to collaborate on initiatives that bridge the gap between theory and practice, creating tangible impact in our food system."

Healthy and sustainable
VU's membership of Next Food Collective is an important step forward in internally focusing food-related research at the VU campus and externally increasing VU’s visibility to, and connectivity with, external partners in the agro-food ecosystem.

Deploying molecular science for the protein transition in a huge consortium
The first collaboration is expected to start in the coming weeks: Fermi, led by Herwig Bachmann of the VU and co-managed by Next Food Collective. A project that will transform plant-based fermentations into predictable technology in order to improve the taste and flavour of plant-based ingredients. Thus solving a key issue in the transition to a more plant-based diet. The broad international consortium consists of 15 partners, whom together have the scientific, technical and market power to deliver towards the goal of the project.

Source: VU Amsterdam, 12 September 2024