You describe yourself as a ‘Sustainability Ninja’ – what does that mean?
There is something martial about “ninja”. That is not quite what I mean. Of course, in a way, it is a struggle when you are committed to a good cause. But what I mean is that you need stamina and perseverance. At the same time, perhaps it is also about finding new ways to achieve your goal. I think it is sometimes necessary to push yourself and ask: How can the issue of sustainability be repositioned and communicated in a new way? So that it becomes part of the mainstream. I have been trying to do that for many years now.
What role does nutrition play in shaping a sustainable future?
It almost sounds too obvious: we are aware of the environmental and social implications of the food industry. These make it part of the problem, but also part of the solution. I believe that we can only transform the future if we think about nutrition. And I like that because it is such an emotional topic. Consequently, the way we eat in the future could be an incredibly powerful lever for shaping the future of society as a whole.
Which food trends are currently the most prominent?
For one, I find it exciting that people are opening up to new technologies of the future, such as cellular agriculture – whether it is precision fermentation or, on a much smaller scale, the field of ‘in vitro’ technology. On the other hand, I am interested in the way things are connected within society. We are developing new cultural techniques in which we resolve what were once classic opposites – such as ‘global’ versus ‘local’, ‘do-it-yourself’ versus ‘convenience’ or ‘meat’ versus ‘plant-based’. This is happening because we understand that the real potential for social progress lies in the synthesis or reconciliation of these opposing trends.
