Food and Nutrition Security in Urban Landscapes

Lotte Roosendaal serves as Urban Food Systems Advisor at Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation (WCDI), where she specializes in food systems governance and spatial approaches to food and nutrition security. After completing her Master of Science in International Development at Radboud University, she has focused on bridging urban-rural divides in food systems through transdisciplinary approaches. Her work emphasizes the integration of spatial perspectives in food system governance, particularly in urbanizing landscapes. At WCDI, she contributes to capacity strengthening initiatives and leads courses on landscape governance and food security, including the MOOC "Food and Nutrition Security in Urbanising Landscapes." Her expertise spans landscape approaches, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and facilitating learning processes, with particular emphasis on addressing food security challenges in urban-rural contexts. Through her role, she works to strengthen rural-urban linkages and improve food system governance by engaging diverse stakeholders and promoting integrated approaches to food and nutrition security.

Nistia Sekar Ningati is pursuing her Master's degree in Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in Management, Policy and Society with a focus on Sustainable Development Diplomacy. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia, she gained valuable experience as a junior researcher studying peatland native tree species at an Indonesian pulp and paper company's Research and Development Center for four years. Her expertise spans landscape management, tropical peatlands restoration, and traditional ecological knowledge. As a digital host at the 2018 Global Landscapes Forum Bonn and participant in the Youth in Landscape Initiative Workshop, she has demonstrated her commitment to youth empowerment and sustainable development. Currently active in the Sustainable Development Diplomacy Track's student committee, she combines her practical experience in peatland research with academic pursuits in conservation policy and ecotourism development, bringing a unique perspective to forest conservation and sustainable landscape management.

Tossa Harding serves as Learning Design Advisor at Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation, where she combines her background in environmental systems analysis and social sciences to develop transformative learning experiences. Her work focuses on creating educational programs that foster systems thinking and strengthen the relationship between people and nature. She has played a key role in developing several influential MOOCs for Wageningen University, including "Environmental Gamechanger - Lead the Way to Sustainable Development," which empowers learners to become agents of sustainable change through interactive assignments and real-world applications. The course introduces essential sustainability skills and guides participants in applying these to personal projects in their communities. Through her work on courses like "Climate Action in Biodiverse Landscapes" and the Professional Certificate Programme in Sustainable & Inclusive Landscapes, she demonstrates her commitment to using online education as a tool for building capacity in sustainable development. Her approach emphasizes the importance of systems thinking and stakeholder engagement in addressing complex environmental challenges, reflecting her belief in education's power to drive positive global change.

Cora van Oosten currently serves as Head of Capacity Development & Education at CIFOR-ICRAF, following her role as senior project manager at Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation from 2008 to 2023. As a Human Geographer with over 30 years of international experience, she has established herself as a leading expert in landscape approaches, governance, and natural resource management. Her career spans leadership positions across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, including significant work in Kenya, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Bolivia, and Cambodia. At Wageningen, she developed innovative approaches to landscape governance and restoration, particularly focusing on the intersection of local and global interests in landscape management. She leads the Global Landscapes Forum's Landscape Academy, a multi-partner initiative promoting Restoration Education for All. Her work emphasizes the importance of governance in successful landscape restoration, addressing critical questions about stakeholder engagement and decision-making processes. Through her research and practical experience, she has demonstrated how landscape approaches can effectively combine food security needs with nature conservation and economic development, particularly in regions facing climate change challenges. Her current role at CIFOR-ICRAF focuses on strengthening science-in-practice approaches and developing systemic capacity development programs across multiple geographies.

Confidence Duku serves as a Climate Risk Data Scientist in the Climate Resilience Team at Wageningen Environmental Research, where he specializes in multidisciplinary research at the intersection of climate, water, food systems, and ecosystems. After earning his PhD in Environmental Systems Analysis from Wageningen University and MSc in GIS & Environmental Modeling from the University of Hull, he has built an impressive career combining geospatial analytics with environmental science. His research employs cutting-edge machine learning and big data techniques to develop models that assess climate impacts on food production, water resources, and ecosystem health. Prior to his current role, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Wageningen University and as a Project Consultant at the Africa Rice Center (CGIAR) in West Africa, where he focused on optimizing agricultural practices through GIS applications. Currently, he leads projects across the Netherlands, South America, and Africa, developing quantitative insights and frameworks to support climate adaptation and sustainable development. His work has gained significant recognition, particularly his research on deforestation's impact on rainfall in Africa, published in Environmental Research Letters. Through his role in the Climate Resilience team, he continues to advance the understanding of climate change impacts while developing actionable solutions for sustainable landscape management.