Silke Remmits

Article in German newspaper Rheinische Post Mediengruppe on our food forest in the Netherlands. Coining this type of #agroforestry as merging agriculture with the ecological principles of a primeval forest. The result is food production, combined with restoration of biodiversity and carbon sequestration. The article is also mentioning the emerging co-operation of Stichting Voedselbosbouw Nederland, Rhine-Waal University and others in supporting farmers in this transition. Farming for the future! #Nahrungswald #biodiversity #Klimawandel #Landwirtschaft #voedselbos

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This morning I had a pleasure to attend the ProVeg International webinar: Evolving appetites: How to drive market success in a plant-based economy. A deep dive focus on: NL, AT, DE. My key-take aways from the session: 🌱People in Europe are transitioning towards flexitarian / plant-based diets, but their main motivations include health and animal welfare, rather than environmental reasons (however it differs between regions) 👨‍👩‍👦Young people (gen z) and women drive the transition towards plant-based diets in European countries, but interestingly men are more likely to follow a fully vegan diet 👨🏽‍🦰👩🏻‍🦳Gen X is the generation least likely to eat plant-based food, so new strategies are needed to address this consumer group (better texture? availability? variety of plant-based meat alternatives?) 🏷️People are increasingly interested in traceability and transparency in food products - will this trend drive a change in food labelling in the EU? I think it’s high time to think about it! 🫛The Green Protein Alliance and ProVeg Netherlands have recently introduced protein tracker - a tool used for monitoring the proportion of animal- to plant-based protein sources sold in supermarkets across the country. It was co-developed with the industry sector and is widely used by retailers (I’ve never heard about it before, but am fascinated by the idea!)👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/dide2a8D. 🛒Billa - an Austrian supermarket chain has recently opened a fully plant-based supermarket Billa Pflanzilla! It serves as a market for both well-known and new products developed by emerging plant-based start-ups. How great is that!? 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/dVe9-Vj4 Great to see so many positive trends! I am now looking forward for the policy-makers to catch up:)

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On the 18-19th of July, Evaluna Márquez and Nageshvar Patel will be representing Caffe Inc. in the International conference 'Towards halving food waste in Europe'. Hosted by Stichting Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling ♻ Did you know that 1/3 of all food produced is wasted worldwide? Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling aims to bring together companies and entities to reduce the 2 billion kg of food waste in the Netherlands by 50%. At Caffe Inc., we are committed to reducing food waste by upcycling coffee waste into valuable ingredients for various industries. ☕️🌱 This is because your morning cup of coffee uses only 20% of the coffee bean, while the remaining 80% is often discarded. 🗑 More about the conference: https://lnkd.in/e8s8u5Cz #FoodWaste #Sustainability #Upcycling #HalvingFoodWaste #Foodwasteeurope #reducewaste

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Dear Ag-sustainability enthusiasts, I’ll be attending the Future of Food and Agriculture conference of the Innovation Forum, on May 14th and 15th in Amsterdam. If you want to (re-)connect, and hear about the great work we do at Regrow, come and find me directly at the conference, or ping me on LinkedIn to organise a meeting. During the conference, I’ll be speaking at two different sessions: Breakout: Tuesday 14th, at 13.30 - 14.15 Topic: Science Based Targets: How companies are successfully implementing FLAG guidance, to reduce scope 3 and report on the impact Panel: Wednesday 15th: 10.55 - 11.40 Topic:  From pilots to standards to scale: Is a regenerative framework the key to success?

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New episode 🌿 My guest this week is Koen van Seijen, host of the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast. Over the last 7 years, he has recorded and published over 300 conversations with inspiring people looking to transform our food system from the most destructive activity on the planet into a powerful climate solution. In this conversation, Koen explains why he believes that investing in #regenerativeagriculture makes a lot of sense. I asked him a whole range of questions and we got into some really interesting conversations about nutrient density, farmers’ mental health, agricultural subsidies, technology and much much more. We also discuss some of his favorite episodes and guests: 🐮 Matt Chatfield - How a nature-friendly approach can produce high-quality meat while supporting biodiversity. 🙏 Satish Kumar - Nature is incredibly complex and intelligent. We need to be more humble and work with nature, but stop thinking we can outsmart it.  🧑‍🌾 New Foundation Farms - Their vision of showing that a large-scale complex multi species farm can be financially profitable while selling foods for an affordable price is ambitious and inspiring. If they show that it’s possible, it could create a big shift. 🧑‍⚕️ Zach Bush, MD - a doctor who has been studying the impact of glyphosate on health, showing how detrimental to health chemical inputs actually are. 🫶 Benedikt Bösel who also has an impressive transition story and who has become a great friend since they recorded a whole podcast series together. Some other people or companies mentioned in the discussion: Paul McMahon, SLM Partners, Chuck de Liedekerke, Soil Capital, Jeroen Klompe, Lenteland, Anne van Leeuwen, Nofence, Collie, Rick Clark, Regenerative Food Systems Investment 🎧 To listen to the full conversation - 2 options: 1. search for "Deep Seed" on Spotify / Apple Podcast 2. or click the link in the comments below This podcast was produced in partnership with Soil Capital, a company that supports #regenerativeagriculture by financially rewarding farmers who improve soil health. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ I need you help! 🙏 If you appreciate my work and this podcast, you can help me in just 10 seconds: 1. clicking the ‘follow’ button (Spotify / Apple Podcast) 2. leaving a 5⭐️ review Thank you! Raphael Esterhazy

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Yesterday, May 12th May, was International Plant Health Day Did you know that plants provide 80% of the food we eat and 98% of the oxygen we breathe? 🌱 The Netherlands works with international partners to ensure sustainable plant health, taking strong action to protect our planet's delicate ecosystems and ensure food security for generations to come. As a large player in plant trade, the Netherlands conducts rigorous inspections and adheres to the highest standards to safeguard against invasive pests and diseases. We're working hard to prevent the spread of plant pests across borders, helping reduce global economic losses that amount to over 200 billion euros annually! Learn how the Netherlands’ Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is collaborating with international partners, promoting environmentally-friendly practices, and implementing digital solutions like electronic phytosanitary certification to make trade safer and more efficient. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gnPCuByF Join us in our journey towards a more sustainable and resilient future! #FarmingtheFuture #PlantHealthDay #international #trade . . . . . . . Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA) Netherlands LNV Attaché Netwerk Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Mexico Wendele van der Wiele Benjamin Leal

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🇳🇱 Just concluding the 9th F&A Next in Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands, I feel that we have learned so much. Over the course of two days, we met with exciting founders, startups, co-investors, and strategic partners of PeakBridge. We emerged optimistic about the future of the AgriFoodTech industry, recognizing that while it will require time and resources, it is indispensable and poised for growth. We started the day with the PeakBridge traditional breakfast organized by Thomas van den Boezem , where 18 investor colleagues discussed various vehicles and models for financing, particularly for the scale-up phase. Insightfully led by our founding partner Erich Sieber and Jeroen Leffelaar. The afternoon featured a PeakBridge-led session on exits and strategies on how to achieve them. our partner Nadim El Khazen delivered a great keynote presentation, showcasing statistics that prove specific areas within the Food and FoodTech industry are performing well and generating substantial returns. He emphasized the ingredients space, which is being driven by multiple M&As. Following this, we had a value-added panel with an exceptional lineup of founders and investors, including Derek Norman from Leaps by Bayer, Kate Murray from Hall's VC, Steven Tuttle who exited AgriMetis, Nadim El Khazen, and Kees Aarts, moderated by our founding partner Nadav Berger. Key takeaways include: It is essential to DD your investors are and understand their exit models, as not all will stay until the hoped-for exits. Build the right board or advisory board to help you connect with high-level people in your target industry and establish strategic relationships. Successful exits come from building relationships and trust with your investors. Remember, your investors need exits too, so match the right backers to the appropriate phases in your company’s lifecycle. The two exciting days concluded perfectly with the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award for the most promising startups, and this year it went to Jord BioScience ked by Keri Carstens. Can't wait for 10th F&A Next 2025 on May 21st and 22nd. Big congratulation and much thanks to the people and organizations behind this Rabobank Wageningen University & Research Anterra Capital Foodvalley NL and StartLife. Thank you Bram van Beek and Leon Mur with all your team.

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IFOAM Organics Europe WE DID IT! Great news the Nature Restore Act of the EU is passed. Let´s start by rebuilding/restoring our beautiful Europeaan country side as fast as we can. The fastest way is switching to more organic farming without chemicals and pesticides. Who is with me! #organicfarming #wholeplantbasedfood #artisanfood #foodandhealth Plant Based Foodie Forever

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As an Agricultural Policy Analyst at the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in #Paris, Koen Deconinck analyzes trends and challenges for global agriculture and across the food chain. He also looks at how policies affect countries that work together in the OECD. ‘The Netherlands plays a key part in our joint efforts to improve global food systems,’ Deconinck notes. He points out that working together is key. Otherwise, efforts can be scattered and opportunities missed. Read the complete article 'The Netherlands' continued collaboration within the OECD framework is crucial to triple challenge of food systems' from the recently released Agrospecial magazine in the link below. You can find other articles from the Agrospecial 10: Efforts of the Netherlands in multilateral policy here: https://lnkd.in/eDw4-2eJ #OECD | #multilateralpolicy | #agrospecial | Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit | Netherlands | OECD - OCDE | Nederland bij de OESO | Wageningen University & Research https://lnkd.in/ehRHXeNQ

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Some highlights from FoodTech Weekly #193 (https://lnkd.in/dcY4h5ER) this morning: 💶 Cultivated meat startup Mosa Meat of the Netherlands has secured €40M in funding led by Lowercarbon Capital and M Ventures . Notably, German billion euro poultry meat processor PHW Group joined the round. In related news, Dutch cultivated pork startup Meatable just hosted the first public tasting event for cultivated meat in the EU 💰Greeneye Technology of Israel has bankjed $20M from Deep Insight and existing investors including e.g. Syngenta Group Ventures and JVP. The company’s technology — which can be retrofit to work on most existing machines — can detect and spray only those areas with weeds, rather than hitting the actual crops or bare ground. This saves money and also limits environmental damage 💶 Weenat of Nantes, France has been splashed with cash — €8.5M (appr. $9M) in Series C to be exact, from European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), Pymwymic, LIBERSET, and IDIA Capital Investissement. The company's tech helps farmers optimize irrigation, predict and monitor frost, protect crops from bio-aggressors, and more 💰 Washington, U.S. rock removal startup TerraClear Inc has grabbed $15M in funding. The company aims to free farmers from the chore of rock picking, by using computer vision, AI, and robotics 💶 Swedish AgTech startup OlsAro has bagged €2.5M (appr. $2.7M) in fresh funding in a round led by Future Food Fund and PINC, and joined by AgFunder, FLORA Ventures, Mudcake, and current investors. The company develops crops that are more heat-tolerant and with improved nitrogen efficiency, reducing the reliance on synthetic fertilizers 🐄 The Danish government has set aside DKK 518M (appr. $74M) to help farmers finance a feed additive that can reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle by up to 30%, as part of efforts to meet Denmark’s climate goals 💶 Espoo, Finland startup NPHarvest has secured €2.2M (appr. $2.3M) from  Nordic Foodtech VC and others; the company has developed a novel solution for collection and recycling of up to 90% of the excess but valuable nutrients from wastewater. The end product is ammonia salt, commonly used in the fertilizer industry 💶 Saveggy of Lund, Sweden has pulled in €1.76M (appr. $1.87M) in investment for its edible coating that can help extend shelf life for fresh fruits and vegetables, and reduce the need for plastics. Investors in the round included Unconventional Ventures, LRF Ventures, Almi Invest GreenTech and business angels 🤩 New jobs at John Deere (U.S.), BioFeyn (U.S.), REDUCED (Denmark), Root Global (Germany), FUL Foods  (Netherlands) ...and much more! Subscribe now at: https://lnkd.in/d8mUXXH5 #FoodTech #foodtechweekly #agtech #startups #funding #tech #innovation #farming #technology #food #agriculture #science

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Check out our first blog! 🤟🏻

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Elise Bijkerk Plant and animal based food industries should work together. Especially creating all kinds of hybrid foods where taste, texture and functionality does not change for the end product. But have a tremendous impact on the carbon and land use issues we face. Like Lucas Metsaars always tells us in his posts, that in baked products, like cake it is no problem to replace a part of the real egg with a plant based one. The same is for animal based milk and desserts, butter, cheese, salami, minced meat, ham etc. As a consumer you will not notice the change in taste or texture, but our planet will :-) The only change will be on the packaging of your favorite cake where it says 60% animal egg and 40% plant based egg is used to produce this cake. So the plant based and animal based food industry should work together to make the best plan for change the way, we produce our favorite foods. And animal based food industry knows they have to change so let´s help them transition to more plant based foods as smoothly as possible. They are not the enemy, but just another stakeholder in the ecosystem who can help save the planet by convincing their loyal customers "that they can have their favorite cake and eat it" if the cake is made more sustainable. #degrowth #plantbasedfoods #organicfoods #regenerativefarming #fruitsandvegetables Plant Based Foodie Forever

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Do cut flowers have to be an ecological nightmare? Most conventional flowers are full of pesticides and have a history of being grown in heated greenhouses and/ or thousands of kilometres by cooled airplanes. No! [Festive music] Enter the hero! https://lnkd.in/emtinG9Y Slow Flowers by Katja Staring. This wonderful book (in Dutch) is a treasure trove of ideas, narratives and best practice examples of cut flowers that are not destroying but healing our environment. My personal highlights of the first half of the book: - Martin Heutink suggests taking Denmark as an example. There, the government pays the certification costs of the biolabel, motivating growers to switch to a poison-free way of working. - Experience the seasons: value the shy nature of the winter and limit yourself to what´s available then. Buying a bouquet of roses on Valentine´s Day is like 'serving a dessert with watery strawberries on Christmas Eve." - Jacolien Cleveringa tells us that even during her professional training, she wasn´t aware of the origin of the flowers or the environmental consequences that they bring with them. - Lack of transparency: p. 41: It´s crazy that at the florist, we don't see where the products are coming from, as is the case for fruit and veggies in the supermarket. Flowers stay anonymous, they don´t tell a story. Take inspiration from France, where you proudly buy wine or cheese from the region. - Mega-impact, p.56: In 2020, the energy consumption of the ornamental plant sector was as big as that of the entire city of Amsterdam! - Julian Langelaan chooses to grow flowers that have a chance in the Dutch climate without chemical tricks: "If you have to make such an effort to grow a specific plant, or if there is such a big chance that something goes wrong, then the question is whether you should grow this plant at all." There is not only the book but also a whole movement with the same name: https://lnkd.in/etXrBuaJ #ornamental #horticulture #climatecrisis #biodiversity

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🌱Another great day closing off Plant FWD. 🇳🇱I liked the experiment ‘Nederland Veganland’ of Berno Strootman looking at what what would happen with the space in NL if we all went vegan? Conclusion: there would be enough space for housing 20 million people while returning 40% of the land back to nature ! 💡This experiment helps to provoke our thinking and imagine possibilities. 🇩🇰Many of these experimental thoughts and debates however end in polarization. Therefore it was also refreshing to learn from Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl how Denmark created several coalitions between perhaps unusual suspects; like the vegan society and the pig industry. The lesson here was that we might not agree on everything but if we work together on what we agree on we can all move forward. The result is a 1 bln DKK government funded action plan for plant-based food. 🍔The same thought helps to move consumers in the food transition. How can we all move forward even if we don’t always agree? The graph below is a hypothetical normal distribution. 🛶We are all in the same boat. Some are vegan, in a way compensating for the heavy meat eaters, some are flexitarians in different shapes and forms. On the full spectrum it is crucial that the majority reduces their intake of meat. So how can we achieve that rather than saying this is good and that is bad? Rune’s advice: ‘speak with people you don’t agree with, in order to make progress in the right direction’ #foodsystemtransformation #plantforward #collaboration #innovation #coalition. I write about food system change and help companies in the need to transform the food system through strategy, new product ideas and innovation from farm to fork

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🇳🇱 Visit to StartLife in Wageningen, Netherland 🌱 We recently had the pleasure of visiting StartLife , an Agri-FoodTech startup accelerator located in Wageningen, Netherland🪴. This non-profit organization plays a crucial role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector by supporting startups from around the world👩‍🌾 StartLife boasts over 30 partners and has supported more than 400 startups with over 40 startups benefitting from their programs each year 🤝 Some of the startups that participated in Kobe City's The Next Kitchen program - GO KOBE - THE NEXT KITCHEN —a business matching initiative connecting overseas food tech startups with local companies around Kobe—have also received support from StartLife🍽 We look forward to fostering more connections and collaboration between Kobe City and StartLife to support the growth of innovative startups in the food and agriculture sector🚀 Samuel Rapolu Jorien Hattink Chihiro Imakita Shiori Fukuda #AgriFoodTech #StartupAcceleration #Innovation #GlobalCollaboration #KobeCity #StartLife #TheNextKitchen

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Before we change our food production, let's find out how our food is produced! This sentence comes from my discussions with my friend Lennart, when we visited an exposition on Food in Amsterdam. It was great to see how our food is produced, and not be influenced to make decisions, but just to know how our food is produced. We want better food, less fertilizer use, less pesticide, animal welfare, and nutritious, and healthy food. But if we don't know how food is produced now, how can we think of improving it? I hope this makes each of us think about how we can go out and learn how our food is produced! #agrifoodtech #foodsystems #wageningenuniversity #startups *Image created with the assistance of AI

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🌿💶 NOPALM INGREDIENTS RAISES €5M TO SCALE PALM OIL ALTERNATIVE Dutch startup NoPalm Ingredients has raised €5M ($5.4M) in a seed funding round to accelerate production of its sustainable palm oil alternative. The investment round was led by Rubio Impact Ventures, and co-led by Oost NL, Fairtree Elevant Ventures, and Willow Capital Investments. There was participation from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and other private investors as well. It takes the total raised by NoPalm Ingredients – which makes a fermented yeast-derived alternative to palm oil – to €6M ($6.5M), following a pre-seed round in 2022. The capital will help the startup scale its technology up to industrial levels of 50 cubic metres and beyond, and prepare for its demo factory. “NoPalm Ingredients is a leading pioneer from the Foodvalley ecosystem that is shaping the Dutch and European alternative oils and fats landscape, to create a more sustainable food system,” said Maureen Haverkamp, investment analyst at Oost NL. “Their business model is innovative and appealing to both suppliers and customers and has a clear positive impact on the environment. We’re proud to invest in the innovative team of NoPalm Ingredients.” NoPalm Ingredients, which was founded in 2021 by Lars Langhout and Prof Dr Jeroen Hugenholtz, employs a proprietary fermentation process using non-GMO yeasts and low-capex technology, which can convert local agricultural waste – like potato peels and whey permeate – into yeast oils. NoPalm Ingredients is among a number of companies dedicated to tackling the problematic $70B palm oil industry. These include British firms PALM-ALT and Clean Food Group, New York-based C16 Biosciences, Estonia’s ÄIO, Dutch startup Time-travelling Milkman, and Bay Area company Kiverdi, Inc., among others. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/erg8Y9qM #GreenQueen #futurefoods #foodtech #sustainability #innovation

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🌿 Event Recap: Putting Nature First: The Seaweed Company 🌿 This morning we were thrilled to host Joost Wouters, visionary CEO of The Seaweed Company, for a fascinating webinar. Joost covered a wide range of topics, including seaweed cultivation, entrepreneurship, and the future of the food system. Here are some key takeaways from the event: Seaweed's Impact Potential: Joost highlighted the transformative power of seaweed in sequestering carbon, fostering biodiversity, and restoring degraded marine ecosystems. Hybrid Propositions: He discussed innovative hybrid food propositions that aim to break into conventional industries despite strong market forces. Entrepreneurship Insights: Joost shared valuable insights into the entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of 'healthy stubbornness' and self-care in driving change, innovation and longevity. A huge thank you to Joost for joining us and sharing his vision for the future of the seaweed industry. Our community was deeply inspired by your innovative approach to transforming the food system and addressing environmental challenges. We look forward to hosting more events that explore sustainable solutions and innovative ideas for a better future. Stay tuned! #PlantFutures #Sustainability #Seaweed #ClimateAction #FoodIndustry #EnvironmentalConservation #TheSeaweedCompany

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