Cities Leading Food Production Magazine: Looking back on VIV Europe 2026

Cities leading food production

CITIES LEADING FOOD PRODUCTION Moving from Vision to Action at VIV Europe 2026

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Cities Leading Food Production From Vision to Action at VIV Europe 2026 VIV Europe 2026

Programme

VIV Europe 2026 was a milestone 25th edition — one that fully lived up to its theme, ‘Showroom of the World.’ Held from 2–4 June 2026 at Jaarbeurs Utrecht, the show welcomed 14,691 professional visitors from 135 countries, including 200 industry leaders, alongside 461 exhibitors active across the full animal protein value chain.

Day 1: Regenerative Energy & Momentum

Cities Leading Food Production

Food Security & Resilience,Water, Precision Farming, Agroforestry, Short Food Supply Chains, Blockchain in the Food Chain, Designing Regenerative Food Regions

Following milestones in Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, the Cities Leading Food Production programme arrived in Utrecht next, bringing par tners and networks to feature in roundtables and workshops at our Innovation Square and dedicated seminars on the main VIV conference stage in Hall 10.

Its purpose Accelerating resilient and regenerative food systems for metropolitan regions worldwide, suppor ted by new digital collaboration infrastructure across governance, technology & health, water, youth engagement, finance, regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration.

Nutrient Density, Community Building, Quantum Biology, Regener ative Agr iculture , Youth Engagement in Agriculture Day 2: Food Security, Technology & Food System Design

Day 3: Ecosystem Restoration, Youth and Farmer Empowerment & Learning Regions around the World Environmental Stewardship in the Middle East, Youth & Farmer Empowerment in Africa, Solutions for Ecosystem Restoration & Healthy Agriculture, Creating Learning Regions for Resilient Food Systems

Key stats • 34 programme partners • 30 speakers

• 12 workshops

• 3 seminars

• 9 demonstrations

• 12 roundtables

• 350+ session participants

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Every food claim is a promise.

Blockchain is what makes promises verifiable.z Together

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Towards Better

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Cities leading food production

Cities Leading Food Production Unlocking Future Market Leadership in Food Production

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DAY 1 – Regenerative Energy & Momentum

From One Mansholt to a Million Opening speech by HRH Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme Rebuilding Our Food Systems. Together!

We live in a world in crisis. That much needs no explanation. Yet it is precisely in such moments that the power to fundamentally renew systems can emerge. After the Second World War and the Hunger Winter, in which thousands of people in the Netherlands died of starvation, one clear promise was made: never again hunger. That promise was turned into action in just four years

by Sicco Mansholt. Through industrialisation, land consolidation, education and economic reform, he built a level of food security Europe had never known before — in record time.

That transformation came at a high price. Soils have been depleted, biodiversity has declined dramatically, and our connection to nature has largely been lost. What was once a solution has become par t of the problem. Mansholt himself recognised this as early as the 1970s: the system he had helped create was beginning to turn the farmer into a victim of its own success. A reset is long overdue.

From one Mansholt to a million The good news is that we have done it before.

And we can do it again. This time not with one man, but with thousands — perhaps millions — of “little Mansholts”: farmers, city dwellers, entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers and citizens who understand that we face a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution.There is no silver bullet. Only collective intelligence, honest dialogue and courageous collaboration.

Today we have resources Mansholt never had: collective intelligence, collaborative models, living labs, the ability to create across borders, and a digitally literate generation with a shared language. The par tnership between VIV and Cities Leading Food Production builds precisely on these strengths. It creates bridges between established businesses and emerging movements, between global expertise and local action, between the old system and the regenerative realities we must — and can — shape.

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The Netherlands as a guiding country, Utrecht as the starting point This region — Utrecht, the Randstad and the broader Dutch landscape — already functions as one vast, high-quality food ecosystem. We have the knowledge, the technology, the infrastructure and a collaborative culture that can show the world what is possible. Around us, movements for shor t supply chains, nutrient-dense food and landscape restoration are growing rapidly.

Denmark is conver ting nearly 400,000 hectares to agroecological and regenerative practices.

China is accelerating ecosystem restoration at scale. Across the world, shor t chains, measurable food quality and restoration initiatives are gaining momentum.

The task is clear : reorganise the globalised food system towards greater regional resilience.

Address nitrogen, synthetic fer tilisers, climate change, social divides and economic viability all at once. Shift the focus from confrontation to connection, from shor t-term extraction to longterm value creation, from polarisation to facts, dignity and shared purpose.

Food is the ultimate connector. Without food there is no peace. Without farmers there is no food. Without healthy soil there are no healthy people.This is not only about production; it is about building a new economy of value and worthiness — one in which regional systems regain strength, farmers are once again respected stewards, cities and countryside work in partnership, and consumers can again trust what they eat.

The invitation Cities Leading Food Production, in collaboration with VIV, brings together the necessary networks: shor t food value chains (such as Boerschappen), bionutrient initiatives, ecosystem restoration,

youth and regenerative agriculture movements, and established agribusiness with new value models such as carbon, nature and restoration credits. Together they form a learning ecosystem that connects traditional strengths with emerging innovation.

Utrecht has done it before. Utrecht can do it again.

Perhaps Utrecht must do it again. Our guiding position is not guaranteed, but we have unique advantages: our innovation power, our water management expertise, and our ability to combine high-tech with nature-based solutions.

The invitation is clear. Whether you are a farmer, entrepreneur, policymaker, scientist, investor or citizen: we need your “Mansholt qualities.”

Your contribution to the million small and large decisions that will democratise and renew our food systems. Build bridges instead of walls. Create value instead of extracting it. Restore trust through transparency and results. Turn the crisis into the greatest oppor tunity of our generation.

Because the future of food is not something that happens to us. It is something we build. Together.

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DAY 1 – Regenerative Energy & Momentum

Nutrient Density: The Beef Case Study Dan Kittredge, founder of the Bionutrient Institute and Bionutrient Food Association, kicked off the Cities Leading Food Production programme with a compelling seminar on the Beef Case Study.

In the Beef Case Study, the Bionutrient Institute, in collaboration with researchers including Stephan Van Vliet, analysed how different finishing systems (grass vs. grain) and farm practices influence the nutritional profile of beef. Using advanced testing methods, the study examines variations in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other bioactive compounds. Early findings highlight significant differences linked to management practices, forage quality, and soil health — showing that how cattle are raised directly impacts the health-promoting potential of the meat.

Kittredge emphasised that nutrient density is not just about what farmers do on the land, but how these choices ripple through the entire food system.

The study provides farmers with actionable insights to improve soil biology and grazing management, while giving advisors and policymakers evidence to suppor t regenerative practices that deliver both environmental and human health benefits.

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For professionals working in shor t food supply chains, the Beef Case Study underscores the impor tance of measuring and communicating real nutritional value. It strengthens the case for transparent, farm-to-fork systems where quality and health outcomes are prioritised. The full dashboard and manuscript offer valuable data for those seeking to differentiate products and suppor t farmers transitioning toward more regenerative models.

Kittredge’s presentation set a strong tone for the programme: by understanding and enhancing nutrient density, we can build food systems that truly nourish people and regenerate landscapes.

DAY 1

‘Utrecht, what are you doing!’: Youth-Driven Model for Regenerative Regional Food Systems Lessons from grassroots orchestration and co-creation, a workshop by Maarten Klop Maar ten Klop of Grounded Community and ‘Utreg, wat maak je me nou!’ shared eight years of grassroots orchestration that maps existing local assets first — then simply connects them.

The result? Roughly 80% of the solutions already live in the region’s “soil”: student-run kitchens turning surplus into affordable meals, rapidly scaling CSAs, ecological summer camps, food forests and inclusive demand-building in neighbourhoods like Kanaleneiland. Institutions supply the sunshine and water ; youth and local actors grow the plants.

Key takeaway: Real transformation happens when we map what already exists, match people and resources honestly, and let the next generation lead — turning abundance into resilient, city-to-countryside food flows without waiting for perfect top-down plans.

Quantum Biology Worldview: A New Frontier for Vital Food Systems and Resilient Agriculture Insights from Henk Kieft’s workshop on Quantum Biology Agronomist Henk Kieft of Gaia Campus and Community Vital Food invited par ticipants to look beyond chemicals and mass. Life, he argued, operates at the quantum border — where coherence, information and consciousness actively shape soil, plants, animals and the food on our plates.

Drawing on quantum biology, Kieft showed how specific frequencies (music before spraying, vitalized water, protein resonance treatments) can cut fertilizer use by up to 50% and slash disease pressure by 90%.Vital food is not merely nutrient-dense: it is internally coherent, geometrically ordered and measurable by how long it holds and emits light energy.

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Key takeaway: The next leap in resilient, high-vitality agriculture will come not from more inputs, but from working with information, frequency and consciousness — treating the farm as a coherent living system rather than a chemical factory.

DAY 1

EARA: The Business Case of Regenerative Agriculture Insights from Lucas Chauvin (roundtable), European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA) Regenerative agriculture is rapidly moving from niche practice to strategic necessity. EARA unites pioneering farmer s across biodynamics, agroforestr y, holistic management and organic methods under one clear vision: farmer-led, outcome-based systems that deliver

measurable gains for soil, climate, livelihoods and public health.

Real-world results are compelling. Swiss and Finnish farms have cut fuel and synthetic inputs by up to 50% while maintaining or increasing production. Broader data show 25% better water retention, stronger carbon sequestration and over 60% improvement in supply-chain resilience. For insurers, banks and buyers, these systems translate into lower climate and disruption risk.

EARA keeps farmers at the centre of research, policy, education and innovative finance tools that de-risk the transition — making regeneration both ecologically restorative and economically competitive.

Key takeaway: Regenerative agriculture succeeds when it is flexible, farmer-led and outcome-driven — delivering lower costs, higher resilience and clearer risk reduction for every actor in the food chain.

From Journalist to Farmer: Restoring a Living Landscape with Graangeluk A presentation by Marcel van Silfhout Eight years ago, investigative journalist Marcel van Silfhout walked away from repor ting on a collapsing food system and began farming. On the nitrogen-stressed Veluwe Zoom he founded Graangeluk, determined to reconnect agriculture with nature rather than fence it off.

He revived ancient grains that thrived there for millennia — Veluwe Creeping Rye, einkorn, black emmer and oats.

From a modest 23 kilos of seed came 200 kilos the first year, then 2,500 the next. Today the farm produces goldmedal bread and beer while managing cattle in natural herds and rebuilding soil with sheep and horse manure.

Within two years maize deser ts became flowering fields alive with cornflowers, poppies and bumblebees.

Now spanning 120 hectares and two bakeries, Graangeluk controls a truly shor t, circular chain: land, seed, craft and local sales. The landscape itself is the main product; bread and beer are its finest by-products.

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Key takeaway: Real circular agriculture works when farmers stop fighting nature and star t farming with it — restoring living landscapes, cutting ar tificial inputs, and proving that healthy food and economic viability can grow from the same field.

DAY 1

Youth Engagement in Agriculture Roundtable Whether you’re a student figuring out your next step, a young farmer already in the field, or working in food transition or an NGO — this one’s for you.

Mark Frederiks of Common Source, Maar ten Klop of Grounded Community and Max de Groot of VDBorne Campus led a lively two-hour roundtable on Youth Engagement in Agriculture. The room was full of energy, real stories, and people who actually want to make things better. No boring theory — just honest conversation about how young people can get properly involved in building the food systems of the future.

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DAY 1

Youth Engagement in Agriculture Roundtable

Why Youth Matter Right Now The message was clear from the star t: young people are already bridging the gap between cities and farms.

Think festivals, community gardens, ecological summer camps, and food sharing markets. One initiative alone — Grounded — has pulled in over 600 volunteers from more than 40 countries. These aren’t just one-off events.

They’re creating real connections, getting people handson with soil, food, and nature.

But here’s the catch: many young people want to get involved, yet the path isn’t clear. Education often stops at theory. Courses don’t always lead to stable jobs or decent pay. As one participant put it, we need training that mixes practical farming with tech — things like data, AI on farms, logistics, and blockchain for fairer systems.

What Young People Actually Need Max de Groot shared his amazing journey. He star ted at 13 on a cattle farm, switched to driving tractors, and now works at Van den Borne Campus, a high-tech farm that’s been using sensors and data for 12 years running.

That hybrid skill set — knowing both the land and the tech — is gold.

The group agreed on a few big needs:

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• Real hands-on experience — internships, farm days, tractor time, not just classroom stuff.

• Clear career paths — structured programmes that actually lead somewhere.

• Mentorship and freedom — older generations guiding but giving young people space to experiment.

• Physical spaces — living labs and community hubs (like the fortress used by Grounded and the Van den Borne Campus) where you can try things out.

DAY 1

Youth Engagement in Agriculture Roundtable

Building Something Bigger Together The conversation moved to scaling. Instead of competing, we need collaboration — “human mycelium” connecting local projects into something global. Living labs were mentioned a lot: places where farmers, students, tech people, and cities work together on real solutions.

Offers came from all sides:

• Industry folks said they’re looking to hire youth with grassroots experience.

• Tech people talked about blockchain for transparent, fair supply chains.

• Experimental farms opened doors for internships.

• NGOs and networks offered to team up on funding applications.

One strong point: we need to change the image of farming. It’s not just “old-school hard labour.” It can be creative, technical, social, and deeply meaningful — growing food, restoring nature, building community, and using cool tools.

A Practical Vision Forward The roundtable ended with a hopeful but realistic call.

Youth have energy and fresh ideas. What’s missing is proper suppor t — funding, spaces, training, and people who take them seriously.

If you’re a student or young person: get involved in local initiatives, summer camps, or living labs. Reach out to networks like Grounded or Common Source. Star t small, learn by doing.

If you’re a farmer, professional, or NGO: open your doors.

Offer mentorship, internships, or collaboration. Help turn passion into real livelihoods.

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The food system is changing fast. Young people aren’t waiting around — they’re already organising, experimenting, and connecting. The question is: are we ready to suppor t them properly so they can build the resilient, regenerative systems we all need?

Let’s keep the conversation going. Drop your thoughts below — what’s one thing you’d like to see for youth in agriculture?

See you in the field (or at the next festival).

DAY 2 – Food Security, Technology & Food System Design

Food Security Under Fire: Lessons from Kyiv with Nazar Bobitski Nazar Bobitski, Director of the association Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) Brussels office, opened Day 2 of Cities Leading Food Production with the seminar ‘Food Security Under Fire’. Drawing from Ukraine’s experience during the first weeks and months of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Bobitski shared critical insights on maintaining food access in wartime conditions, with direct relevance for cities and regions facing crises worldwide.

Bobitski made a key distinction: in times of war orcrisis, it is often not the lack of food production that causes problems, but the lack of access to food. In Kyiv, even when stocks existed, disrupted logistics, damaged infrastructure, power outages, and economic shocks made it difficult for many residents — especially vulnerable groups — to obtain essential supplies. According to WFP data referenced in the presentation, 57% of Kyiv residents repor ted scarcity of some products in local shops, while 34% had no income or depended on assistance.

Practical lessons for resilience included: • Cities must plan for access, not only for stocks.

• Logistics nodes — warehouses, cold storage, mills, and fuel supply — must be protected as critical infrastructure.

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• Market channels and retail should be kept alive as long as possible; in crises, they become lifelines.

• Government-business-civil society cooperation is essential.

• Vulnerable groups need to be mapped in advance.

• Energy resilience is inseparable from food security

Bobitski concluded that Ukraine’s experience demonstrates food security in war time is not only about production. It is about access, logistics, energy, infrastructure, and effective coordination.

These lessons are highly relevant for European cities and regions preparing for future disruptions, whether caused by conflict, climate extremes, or supply chain shocks.

For farmers, advisors, and policymakers working on short food supply chains and regional resilience, the seminar underscored the impor tance of decentralised, robust local systems and proactive planning. Strengthening urban-rural linkages, protecting critical infrastructure, and maintaining functional markets can make food systems far more shock-resistant.

The Cities Leading Food Production programme continues to highlight such real-world experiences to suppor t the development of more resilient regional food networks across Europe and beyond.

DAY 2

Laurens Hanemaaijer: Water is More Than Just H2O Independent scientist Laurens Hanemaaijer shows that water is far more than simple H2O. It forms structured, coherent domains that affect nutrient transpor t, mineral solubility and living processes. Natural flowing water stays vital; confined pipe systems lose that vitality, leading to scale, biofilm and inefficiency.

Simple technologies already work with this reality.

Piezoelectric methods use vibration to disinfect and break down pollutants without chemicals. Magnetic and electromagnetic treatments improve clustering, clear fouled systems and suppor t stronger plant growth.

Key takeaway: Treat water as a structured, living par tner — suppor t its natural organisation and flow, and you gain healthier crops, fewer chemicals and lower energy costs across the food system.

Jacob van den Borne: Precision Farming at Scale Jacob van den Borne runs a large potato farm with a small team by putting data at the centre of every decision. For Jacob, precision farming isn’t about buying every new gadget.

“It’s about doing the right action, at the right time, in the right place.” Since embracing precision farming in 2006, he has cut overlapping work in fer tilising and cultivation by more than 10% — paying back the technology investment within a year.

A fleet of over 15 multispectral drones, ground sensors and satellite data feed into the farm’s own Ground Control platform. Real-time insights on biomass, chlorophyll and water stress guide precise actions. AI trained on 12 years of field data is now refining irrigation and management advice still fur ther.

To share this knowledge, the farm runs the VDBORNE Campus — offering field days, workshops and a free e-learning platform based on a clear 16-step approach.

The goal is to preserve and accelerate farming intuition in an era when each career offers only around 40 growing seasons.

Key takeaway: Precision farming succeeds when technology amplifies — rather than replaces — practical knowledge, enabling small teams to manage large areas with lower inputs, better timing and stronger soil care.

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DAY 2

Agroforestry That Actually Works Agroforestry is emerging as one of the most practical, evidence-based pathways to resilient, productive farming, a case presented by Bhim Bahadur Ghaley (University of Copenhagen) and Ever t Prins (Louis Bolk Institute, Netherlands).

The research case. Ghaley’s work shows European agroforestry systems achieve an average Land Equivalent Ratio of 1.36 — producing the same output on 36% less land than monocropping by making better use of light, water and nutrients. Danish economic analysis found returns of around €704 per hectare, with a stronger benefit-cost

ratio (€2.35 vs. €1.78 for monoculture). Agroforestry also proved more resilient under drought, maintaining stronger yield stability during the extreme dry conditions of 2023.

These findings are being tested through the EU’s Reforest project, which links 14 par tners, 10 countries and seven living labs, where farmers, researchers and policymakers co-develop solutions using digital tools, IoT monitoring and satellite data.

The farmer movement. In the Netherlands, Prins describes rapid grassroots growth: what star ted in 2017 with 15 dairy farmers has expanded to networks of more than 100 farmers across all 12 provinces, now running as National Platform Agricultural Experimentation Locations, using eight distinct system types — from simple tree lines to multi-layered food forests. Success depends on matching the design to local soil, climate and farm goals.

Key takeaway: Agroforestr y works when science and farmer practice reinforce each other — delivering higher land-use efficiency, stronger economics under climate stress, and ecosystem benefits (biodiversity, soil health, water management, animal welfare) in systems designed for real farms rather than idealised models.

Short Food Supply Chains Examples & Advisors’ roles Jan Willem van der Schans, active in the COREnet project and co-founder of the Dutch Task Force Shor t Chain, defines shor t supply chains as systems with zero or one intermediary — from farm shops to direct supermarket deals and regional labels.

Success often depends on standardisation: clear quality, branding and reliable supply. Local supermarket franchise owners can be more flexible than headquarters, sometimes delivering farmers up to 20% higher prices. Constructive par tnerships, including with discounters, are possible.

A new COREnet advisory guide aims to shift advisors from general process advice toward realistic revenue streams and tailored local strategies. Stronger logistical infrastructure and market creation matter more than isolated subsidies.

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Key takeaway: Shor t supply chains work best when treated as practical market channels — suppor ted by standardisation, better local logistics and revenue-focused advice — rather than as a romantic ideal.

DAY 2

The Value of Blockchain in the Food Chain Asgeir Oskarsson and Alexander Mann of the BSV Association showed how blockchain can rebuild trust and fairness in food systems. Farmers currently receive only 9–12% of the final retail price, while consumers often lack reliable information about origin and quality.

Asgeir explained that blockchain can help by acting as a shared, tamper-proof digzital ledger. Ever y entr y is permanent, verifiable, and doesn’t rely on a central authority. This makes it possible to track products from farm to fork with real confidence.

Key advantages highlighted: • Tech people talked about blockchain for transparent, fair supply chains.

• Experimental farms opened doors for internships.

• NGOs and networks offered to team up on funding applications.

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Alexander Mann illustrated the real-world potential with Agritech’s Virginia vineyard example: hyperlocal weather sensors limited frost damage to under 2%, while neighbours lost up to 60%. Anchoring this data on the blockchain created trusted records for provenance, consumer repor ts and faster insurance claims.

Platforms such as Common Source already connect farmers, consumers, researchers and cities with verified identities, secure data sharing and par ticipation rewards — helping shor ten chains and return more value to producers.

Key takeaway: Blockchain is not a magic fix, but powerful infrastructure that, when combined with sensors and community collaboration, can deliver verifiable transparency, fairer payments and stronger trust across the food chain.

Every label on a bottle is a promise.

Blockchain is what makes promises verifiable Together

Towards Better

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DAY 2

Designing the City: Regenerative Food Regions Roundtable Dirk Wascher of SUSMETRO and Mark Frederiks of Common Source hosted a lively two-hour roundtable called ‘Designing the City’. The session brought together a diverse group — farmers, researchers, city planners, tech exper ts, and professionals from Canada, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe — to talk about how we can use data, design, and collaboration to create stronger regional food systems.

Starting with What We Have Dirk kicked things off by showing how we can map what land is available and what people actually eat in a region.

Using tools like European land cover data, soil maps, and food consumption patterns, his team creates “foodscape” assessments. These maps reveal big gaps — for example, plenty of grassland for dairy but not enough local vegetables or fruits to feed nearby cities.

The idea isn’t to force big changes overnight. It’s about understanding the current reality and finding smar t, step-by-step ways to improve it — whether that means

shifting some land use, suppor ting regenerative practices, or connecting farmers more directly with local markets.

Mark Frederiks added an important point: we already have thousands of small initiatives, living labs, and community projects around the world. The challenge is connecting them, learning from each other, and scaling what works.

He talked about building networks of living labs — places where people test ideas, share data, and adapt quickly when crises hit, like during conflicts or extreme weather.

Technology, Data, and Trust Several speakers showed how data and technology can help. Jacob van den Borne, a precision farmer, shared how drones, sensors, and his “Ground Control” platform help him make better decisions on his large potato operation.

Real-time data on soil moisture, plant health, and irrigation has improved yields and reduced waste.

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Others discussed blockchain as a tool for transparency and trust. It can verify where food comes from, suppor t fair payments, and reduce the number of middlemen who take most of the value. The goal isn’t to replace human connections but to make them more reliable with clear, tamper-proof records.

DAY 2

Designing the City: Regenerative Food Regions Roundtable People, Culture, and Local Realities The conversation kept coming back to people. Tatiana from the Middle East reminded everyone that trust in local food isn’t automatic — consumers need to know how it’s grown and why it matters. Education, school gardens, and clear labeling can help reconnect people with their food.

Practical Next Steps

Fadel from Africa shared examples from Nairobi and Senegal, showing how urban agriculture policies and effor ts to balance city and rural needs can create more resilient systems. Ranko from Croatia emphasised that we can’t fix food systems in isolation — we need to connect them with education, tourism, health, and community life.

• Supporting farmers during transitions with better subsidies and risk-sharing

The group didn’t just talk theory. They explored: • Using data to identify opportunities for local production and circular economy projects

• Creating regional food networks that balance local needs with export income • Building living labs as places for experimentation and learning

Dirk showed how tools like Metropolitan Foodscape Planning can help cities and regions make smar ter decisions about land use, logistics, and food supply.

Why This Matters

This roundtable made one thing very clear: we don’t need to wait for perfect top-down solutions. By combining good data, practical tools, farmer knowledge, and community energy, we can star t redesigning food systems that are more resilient, fair, and connected to local realities.

Whether you’re a farmer, city planner, advisor, student, or policymaker, there’s a role for everyone.The session ended with a strong sense of possibility — and an invitation to

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keep collaborating, sharing data, and building these new food regions together.

If you’re working on food systems, regional development, or sustainability, tools like foodscape mapping, living labs, and transparent data platforms are wor th exploring. The future of food is being designed now — and it star ts with understanding our own places better.

DAY 3 – Ecosystem Restoration, Empowerment & Learning Regions

John D. Liu: The Flourishing Path of Ecosystem Restoration, Soils & Water John D. Liu is a Chinese American film-maker and ecologist. He is also a researcher at several institutions and founder of the Ecosystem Restoration Communities. John kicked off the day with his main stage seminar on his inspirations and his extensive experiences with real, practical and achievable ecosystem restorations around the world, and he provided a preview of his workshop with Ties van der Hoeven of The Weather Makers on the effectiveness of Eco-Oases and Katabatic Towers.

“When I went to the cradle of Chinese civilization, I saw one of the most eroded landscapes on Earth, stripped bare and seemingly deser t, despite 300 to 700 millimeters of annual rainfall—enough for temperate forest. The problem wasn’t rain, it was infiltration and retention. The heated bare soil created thermic drafts that pushed moisture higher into the atmosphere so it didn’t fall as rain.”

“As I began to think this through, I was invited to speak at scientific gatherings, which felt strange for a college dropout who went there just to film.

I expected scientists to correct me, but instead they funded more fellowships so I could document similar patterns worldwide, which made me

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increasingly confident in what I was seeing. That led to invitations in Africa to share these insights with different countries.

This had a profound impact in Rwanda and Ethiopia, both scarred by famine and genocide.

Speaking with presidents, prime ministers, cabinets, parliaments, academics, students, and the press— and showing films to the public—meant ‘ecological function’ became a national conversation. I realized policy and action could align around restoring perennial polycultures and the hydrological cycle, and that functioning ecosystems are always more productive—and that this is real work.”

“Instead of just circulating money and pretending that’s progress, we might as well do the work that actually restores ecological function. That insight helped seed a network of ecosystem restoration communities over the past decade—nearly 100 voluntary groups where people simply go and do what’s needed. The more people share this collective intention and act on it, the more it spreads. You don’t have to tell people what to do; once they understand, they wake up each day already knowing.”

DAY 3

Environmental Stewardship and Systemic Change in the Middle East Tatiana Antonelli Abella of Goumbook brings 17 years of experience turning environmental challenges in the MENA region into practical oppor tunities through regenerative agriculture. Extreme heat (up to 60°C), high salinity and seawater temperatures of 38°C make conventional Western technologies fail. Local science and solutions are essential.

Key takeaway: In extreme climates, regenerative agriculture succeeds only when it is rooted in local science, practical innovation and cultural reconnection — turning harsh conditions into a model of resilience rather than dependence.

Goumbook’s MENA Regenerative Agriculture Initiative focuses on documenting what actually works for local farmers. Its Venture Program backs accessible, sciencebased innovations — more than half of the winners are women. Progress is slowed by subsidies that favour the wrong crops, limited local funding and lingering distrust of local produce.

Africa: Empowering Youth and Farmers Fadel Ndiame and Samwel Oando of the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) show how real change in African food systems happens when research, policy and local communities work together — with youth firmly at the centre.

Through their Utafiti Sera (“research for policy”) approach, researchers, farmers, officials, businesses and young people co-create solutions based on local realities. In Nairobi, this process helped the city government finalise an urban agriculture policy after more than a decade of delay, suppor ting inclusive production, traceability and youth agribusiness.

Youth employment remains a critical challenge. PASGR’s initiatives address skills mismatches and create pathways into agriculture and agro-processing by involving young champions across countries and commodities. One young woman who began buying surplus mangoes from farmers and exporting them now creates opportunities for others — a small but powerful example of what empowerment can unlock.

Key takeaway: Sustainable transformation of African food systems depends on co-creation that puts youth and farmers at the centre — turning evidence into practical policy and lasting local economies.

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DAY 3

Eco-Oases and Katabatic Towers: Simple, Positive Solutions for Ecosystem Restoration and Healthy Agriculture John D. Liu and Ties van der Hoeven of The Weather Makers presented simple, nature-based solutions that use water-cycle science to restore ecosystems and suppor t healthier agriculture.

When humidity falls too low, plants close their stomata and natural production can drop by up to 40%.This fuels cycles of drought and heat stress. Two accessible innovations interrupt that cycle.

The Ecoasis Dome creates a connected mini-ecosystem in which water flows, purifies itself and builds biodiversity.

The Katabatic Tower is even simpler : water sprayed at the top evaporates, cools and humidifies the air, generating a

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downward wind that can lower temperatures by 7–15°C. It works with seawater or freshwater and shows potential for higher yields, soil restoration and even energy generation.

Pilot projects already demonstrate results in greenhouses and promise for orchards, urban spaces and farms. The technologies are relatively low-cost and designed for local communities.

Key takeaway: By working with water’s natural processes through simple, scalable tools, we can cool landscapes, restore photosynthesis and build resilient food systems — star ting now, without waiting for perfect policy.

DAY 3

Common Source: Building Resilient Food Systems Closing Roundtable The Cities Leading Food Production-programme at VIV Europe 2026 in Utrecht brought together farmers, advisors, policymakers, processors, researchers, and innovators for three days of honest dialogue on the future of agriculture and food systems. Across multiple sessions, one message stood out clearly: real progress comes through collaboration, practical action, and a shared focus on regenerative practices that strengthen food security and resilience.

The Urgency and the Opportunity Mark Frederiks of Common Source opened the final roundtable session by acknowledging the challenges: struggling farmers, climate pressure, fragmented systems, and the urgent need to move beyond short-term projects.

Yet he also highlighted the energy on the ground — regenerative agriculture movements, youth initiatives, living labs, and shor t supply chain effor ts emerging worldwide.

The transformation of our food system is not optional.

It requires reconfiguring cities and regions around both value (economic facts) and values (human and ecological relationships). Cities, where most people live and make decisions, are central to this shift.

Knowledge, Innovation, and Farmer-Centric Approaches Jeroen Nagel of Regieorganisatie GLB provided a strong overview of the Dutch AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System). The shift from linear knowledge transfer to multi-actor collaboration is delivering results: over 200 innovation projects, expanding Field Labs (living labs), and strong links between practice, research, and policy. The emphasis on farmer-oriented, demand-driven solutions offers a model for other regions.

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Mark Frederiks continued by stressing the need to integrate grassroots movements with formal structures.

Living labs serve as bridges — connecting farmers, advisors, policymakers, and communities. Biomimicr y-inspired governance, digital tools like blockchain for transparency, and shared infrastructure for funding were presented as ways to move beyond project cycles and create lasting change.

DAY 3

Common Source: Building Resilient Food Systems Closing Roundtable Youth, Local Economies, and Regenerative Models Several sessions of the Cities Leading Food Production programme highlighted youth engagement as critical.

Initiatives like Grounded demonstrate how festivals, summer camps, and community hubs can activate young people. The need for clear career pathways combining practical farming with technology was a recurring theme.

Marcel van Silfhout shared his Graangeluk project — reviving ancient grains, innovative cattle grazing, and

building local value chains for bread and beer. His work shows how circular systems and regional collaboration can restore landscapes while creating viable businesses.

Jacob van den Borne illustrated precision farming at scale: drones, sensors, and data platforms helping a small team manage thousands of hectares efficiently while reducing inputs and improving soil health.

Blockchain, Data, and Systemic Design Asgeir Oskarsson and Alexander Mann from the BSV Association showed how blockchain can rebuild trust in food chains — enabling verifiable traceability, fairer payments, and reduced intermediaries. Real examples, such as Virginia vineyards using sensor data anchored on blockchain, demonstrated practical benefits for quality, insurance, and consumer confidence.

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Dirk Wascher led the “Designing the City” session — using data tools to understand local foodscapes, identify oppor tunities for circular economies, and plan more resilient regional systems. The emphasis was on balancing local production with broader needs, integrating cultural and landscape values alongside technical data.

DAY 3

Common Source: Building Resilient Food Systems Closing Roundtable Africa and the MENA Region: Local Realities, Global Lessons Fadel Ndiame and Samwel Oando from PASGR shared powerful examples from Africa.Their Utafiti Sera approach brings researchers, farmers, policymakers, and youth together to co-create evidence-based policies. Youth employment in agribusiness and rebuilding trust through local action were central themes.

Tatiana Antonelli Abella from Goumbook highlighted the MENA region’s extreme conditions and the need for locally adapted regenerative agriculture. Despite harsh climates, there is huge potential in heritage crops, local innovation, and youth engagement. Geopolitical risks make resilient local food systems more impor tant than ever.

Common Threads and the Way Forward Across all sessions, several themes emerged clearly: • Regenerative practices improve soil, biodiversity, water retention, and resilience while offering economic benefits.

• Youth and farmers must be at the centre — with clear pathways, mentorship, and support.

• Collaboration and living labs are essential for sharing knowledge, testing solutions, and adapting quickly.

• Policy and finance need to de-risk transitions and reward sustainable outcomes rather than lock in old systems.

• Data and technology, used thoughtfully (precision tools, blockchain, mapping), can support better decisions and transparency.

• Common Source and similar platforms can help connect initiatives, secure data sovereignty, and enable regional cooperation.

The programme showed that while challenges are real, momentum is building. From Dutch precision farmers to African policy platforms, from blockchain-enabled traceability to landscape-level design — practical solutions exist.

For everyone in agribusiness — whether growing, processing, advising, selling, buying, or shaping policy — the invitation is the same: connect, collaborate, and contribute to building more resilient, regenerative, and fair food systems.

The Cities Leading Food Production sessions demonstrated that by working together across sectors and borders, we can strengthen food security, suppor t farmers, engage youth, and create lasting positive change.

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Blockchain is what makes promises verifiable

bsvassociation.org

Together 27

Towards Better

Towards Resilient Regional Food Networks Over three intensive days, the Cities Leading Food Production programme brought together farmers, researchers, innovators, advisors, policymakers and networ k builder s from across Europe and beyond. From regenerative practices and agroforestry to precision data, short supply chains, water intelligence, blockchain transparency and youth-driven regional systems, one clear message emerged: resilient food systems are built from the ground up — by connecting what already works, empowering people, and designing for local realities.

For farmers, the programme offered practical pathways to lower inputs, diversify income and restore landscape health. For innovators and agribusiness, it highlighted scalable tools and new market oppor tunities rooted in transparency and resilience. For advisor s and networ ks, it under scored the power of co-creation, knowledge-sharing and context-specific support.

For policymakers, it provided evidence that decentralised, well-connected regional systems can strengthen food security while meeting climate and biodiversity goals.

The conversations reinforced the shared ambitions of Cities Leading Food Production, the Common Source platform, EU4Advice and all its par tners: strengthening regional food networks that deliver ecological regeneration, economic viability and social inclusion. Whether through farmer-led experimentation, better advisory tools, fairer value distribution or nature-based technologies, the path forward depends on collaboration across scales and sectors.

The work does not end here. The relationships, insights and initiatives sparked during these days form a living foundation.We invite every participant — and every reader — to stay engaged: explore the Common Source platform, connect with the networks and projects presented, test ideas on the ground, and help shape the advisory and policy frameworks that will accelerate change.

Resilient regional food networks are not a distant vision. They are already taking root. The task now is to nurture, develop and scale them — together.

Visit Common Source and connect with us!

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Towards Resilient Regional Food Networks Upcoming These are the upcoming events and opportunities to continue the conversation and take networks into action.

6-8 October General Assembly of the EU4Advice-project in Ghent.

MENA Regenerative Agriculture Summit, we will focus on; • Showcasing our digital initiatives: in collaboration with Jacob van den Borne, Dan Kittredge, the Common Source app and BSV Association; • Living labs as an orchestration structure between the EU, Africa and the Middle East.

6-8 October Cities Leading Food Production event at VIV Africa in Kigali, Rwanda. We will focus on; • Governance through the Evidence2Action programme; • Technology through the awarded Rice project with BSV, VD Borne, BSV Association and Dan Kittredge; • Living labs as an orchestration structure between Africa, EU and the Middle East.

12-15 October Launch of the European Resilient Food Systems Framework (ERFSF) during European Week Regions and Cities in Brussels.

26-28 October Launch of the first MENA Living Lab during the MENA Regenerative Agriculture Summit, par t of Growtech Middle East in Dubai, UAE. For the

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Common Source will have a demonstration area and host a roundtable with key players and networks.

Scope: launch of the MENA Living Lab in Dubai.

25-26 November CLEVERFOOD event ‘FOOD 2030 Networks Conference 2026‘ in Dublin with ERFSF, Living Labs, SFSC network, Public Procurement, Regional Branded Products (in par tnership with our Irish EU4Advice Living Lab in Cloughjordan).

We will focus on: • governance based on scaling up the Dutch Living Lab, a partnership with VIV and an international roll-out; • technology collaboration with VD Borne, Dan Kittredge, BSV Association via blockchain; • living labs as an international coordination framework.

Cities leading food production

CITIES LEADING FOOD PRODUCTION

citiesleadingfoodproduction.nl

+31 6 113 75 921