project

Systemic Design and Food Waste

Sep 2020 - ongoing

My PhD research is part of a broader project called “Food Waste: Transition from Excess to Enough”, in collaboration with the University of Groningen, Wageningen University, and numerous stakeholders in our food system. My interest in food waste reduction was initially sparked when I heard that a shocking one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. During my PhD I am investigating how our food system, which currently drives on producing and consuming an ‘excess’ amount of food, can be transitioned towards producing and consuming ‘enough’ food. Achieving this transition requires a shift in the mindset of our consumption and production patterns, the implementation of interventions at different levels of the food system, and the collaboration between a variety of stakeholders in our complex food system. My research is structured around understanding and exploring the potential role and value of designers in fostering a transition. Furthermore, it seeks to discover what skills designers can leverage when transitioning towards a food system with minimal consumer food waste. The outcome of my research will be the design of innovations that accelerate the transition, as well as tools and/or methods to support designers in fostering transitions