WUR In Front Window Amsterdam Bookstore
WUR In Front Window Amsterdam Bookstore
The front window of the Athenaeum bookstore in Amsterdam is being transformed into a WUR-themed display over the next two weeks. Not only does it showcase photos of food and agriculture, it also features items such as a custom-made vertical farm. The display window is being decorated as a way of familiarising the major urban centres in the west of the Netherlands regarding important Wageningen research domains in celebration of the hundred-year anniversary of Wageningen University & Research.
Organised byWageningen University & Research
Date: Mon 28 May 2018 until Sun 10 June 2018
Would you like to take a look at the bookstore yourself? That is no problem at all. Virtual visitors can also get a preview of this special display window via a webcam. Of course, there is no space large enough to house a complete representation of what the experts in Wageningen are working on, but it does provide others with an idea of the hundreds of research projects that are currently underway.
Examples of our research
What needs to be considered for vertical farming with LED lighting? What exactly would printing food involve? These are some examples of topics that researchers at Wageningen University & Research are addressing every day.
Food and agriculture are the primary research domains at Wageningen University & Research. Wageningen is practically synonymous with agriculture. This comes as no surprise, as Wageningen has been at the top of the list in various significant rankings related to the field of agricultural research.
Agriculture and food
When accounting for the big picture, agriculture and food cannot be approached separately. For instance, just think about the challenge facing all of humanity in the future: feeding 10 billion people by 2050. Others have put it this way: we (the farmers) will have to produce more food in the period from now until 2050 than we have since agriculture first came into existence. Not to mention that we have to do it as efficiently and sustainably as possible.
Preview of this special display window via a webcam
- www.myfoscam.com
- Login: info@tupola.nl
- Password: Fosc@m890
- Or use the Foscam App on your phone
Vertical farming
Today’s rapidly urbanising societies challenge our food system to feed cities. Vertical Farming can provide a secure and sustainable route to provide cities with fresh food. In a vertical farm plants are grown under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers without solar light. Advantages of vertical farms are: no pesticides, no nutrient emission, only 2-4 litres of water per kg produce, much less land use, less waste, and lower food mileage, though electricity use is still high. Vertical farming not only allows to greatly improve quality (taste, aroma, appearance, shelf life, nutritional value, safety) but also to provide guarantees on vegetable quantity and quality every day of the year independent of weather, climate change, or location.
LED Lighting
Vertical farming has become possible due to rapid developments in LED technology. LEDs are energy efficient and are available in different colours, which can be used to control the growth and quality of the plants.
The plants can utilize all the visible light for photosynthesis, i.e. the production of sugars in leaves which are the basis for growth of the plant. Red is often more efficient for photosynthesis than other colours.
The plant has also a number of photoreceptors that can sense different colours of plant, which can greatly affect the growth, development and quality of plants. Which mixture is optimal for the plants, may depend on many conditions and is being researched in depth at the moment.
3D food printing
Innovation in food and agriculture has come a long way in the past century, resulting in the production of more food than ever before. However, the food industry is facing new challenges due to rapid societal changes: in 2040 there will be 9 billion people to feed; there is an increasing demand for personalized, nutritious, and healthy food; and food production should be done in an affordable way without harming the environment. Radical innovations are required to meet the demands of the near future. 3D printing provides the food industry the opportunity to adapt and change their production processes. In order to accelerate and facilitate the application of 3D food printing, three Dutch research organizations, TNO, Wageningen University & Research and Eindhoven University of Technology, have joined forces to develop a comprehensive 3D food printing research program.
State-of-the-art
3D food printing is an innovative manufacturing process. A complete 3D object is built up layer by layer, based on a 3D computer design, and without the use of moulds or assembly steps. 3D printing was initially used in the manufacturing industry, where materials like metals and plastics were used. However, over the past years a much wider range of printable materials and thus applications have emerged. Over the last years Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and TNO has been jointly developing and applying 3D printing technologies in food production. In multiple international research projects we have shown great potential for the layer wise building of food products. The 3D food products are well-structured and based on multiple materials by using different types of base ingredients. 3D printing has the unique capability to use precise amounts of materials in very specific 3D locations. It gives food manufacturers the opportunity to make improved or even completely new food products with novel shapes, textures, structures, and flavours. Based on our knowledge 3D food printing, currently developed applications are being implemented in supermarkets and out-of-home settings. Supermarkets are testing the 3D printing of customized cakes and candies, and various start-up companies have been established that either sell 3D food printers or offer 3D printed pasta, candy and chocolate.