On Friday 7 November, around 70 representatives from industry, knowledge institutes and universities gathered at the Rosalind Franklin Biotechnology Center at dsm-firmenich in Delft for the annual Next Food Collective Partner Event. Generously hosted by dsm-firmenich, the day centred on this year’s theme: Turning Vision into Impact, exploring how science, policy and practice can come together to accelerate the transition to a healthier and more sustainable food system.
Patrick Niels, President Taste, Texture & Health at dsm-firmenich, opened the day with a call for stronger collaboration across the value chain, a message that echoed throughout the programme.
Key takeaways
- A shift towards the EAT-Lancet diet can support both human and planetary health, but only if we combine more plant-based consumption, nutrient cycling, sustainable agriculture and technological innovation.
- The sector is well-positioned to influence upcoming political and economic changes, supported by the NL Food System 2050 Manifesto and the Food 2040 investment agenda, calling for long-term collaboration and coordinated action.
- Numerous impactful multi partner initiatives are providing inspiration and potential for further acceleration.
Insights from science and policy
- Hannah van Zanten (WUR & Cornell University) showed how circular food systems can stay within planetary boundaries while ensuring healthy diets. Her research underscores the need to rethink consumption and production through a systems lens.
- Gerda Verburg, Non-Executive Director at Next Food Collective, highlighted the call to action in the NL Food System 2050 Manifesto: a long-term agreement between government and the sector, and a shared voice to guide the transition.
Updates from the Collective
- Marian Geluk, Executive Director, reflected on the growth of Next Food Collective since 2023 and the momentum created by the 2050 Manifesto and Food 2040, which together outline a strong agenda for innovation, infrastructure and talent.
- Arienne de Jong discussed the gap between the EAT-Lancet ideal and current household diets. She stressed the importance of scaling what works and highlighted the 1,000 Households programme, now in development, to shape practical support for households in making healthier and more sustainable choices.
- Michiel Meeuse highlighted how private initiatives are already advancing sustainability through upcycled side streams, mild fractionation and fermentation, while noting that financial and regulatory barriers still slow progress. The Food 2040 investment agenda offers an important opportunity to address these challenges. With projects like PREDICT and FERMI, Next Food Collective is already contributing to key building blocks and invites partners to help shape the next steps.
- Wouter-Jan Schouten shared progress of the first full year of the ReGeNL programme (total 7 years), with 162 farmers participating, six innovation projects started and over 1,000 farmers trained to date. He also noted that several organisations have recently joined the movement, including Vitens and Verstegen Spices, and that Lidl is participating in a pilot within the programme.
From vision to practice: six initiatives
After lunch, participants explored six initiatives delivering impact and showing potential to scale across the food system. These included:
- FEAST2030 (Louis Bolk Institute): shaping pathways for tasty, healthy and sustainable diets in Europe.
- JOGG: scaling the Healthy Primary School of the Future and highlighting the importance of early interventions.
- dsm-firmenich: advancing sustainable production through precision fermentation and carbon-reduction technologies.
- Royal Cosun: noted the unpredictability of introducing plant-based ingredients like Fidesse and Tendra, highlighting the need to move from serendipity to strategy and strengthen collaboration across the value chain.
- FrieslandCampina: accelerating regenerative dairy farming through the Future Fit Dairy Initiative, together with Arla, Danone, dsm-firmenich and Rabobank
- NAJK: redefining agricultural value through the True Value Language (TVL) initiative, co-created with young farmers. TVL enables producers to measure, report and be rewarded for sustainability performance in a consistent way.
Looking ahead
This year’s Partner Event reaffirmed what makes Next Food Collective unique: a shared belief that collaboration can turn ambitious visions into measurable impact. As political and economic developments reshape the innovation landscape, this is also a moment of opportunity. With the Food 2040 investment agenda and the Food Strategy 2050 pointing toward stronger governance and coordinated action, there is real momentum to unite the sector, align priorities, and jointly influence the direction of future policy.
Collaboration across public and private sectors is more important than ever, and together, we can build a food system that is both sustainable and competitive for the decades ahead.
A warm thank-you to dsm-firmenich for hosting, to all speakers for their insights, and to every participant for contributing to a day full of energy and momentum.
Together, we are turning vision into impact.