Sustainable Food Security: Food Access

Dr. Marrit van den Berg serves as Associate Professor at the Development Economics Group of Wageningen University & Research, where she specializes in agricultural economics and rural development in developing countries. After completing her studies in tropical land use and development economics, she earned her PhD from Wageningen University in 2001. Her research focuses on rural household livelihoods in developing countries, with particular emphasis on food and nutrition security, off-farm diversification, technology adoption, and microfinance. As project leader and senior researcher, she has conducted extensive field research across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, employing quantitative methods including econometric analysis, behavioral experiments, and randomized controlled trials. Her influential work includes groundbreaking research on household income strategies during natural disasters in Nicaragua, rural poverty dynamics in Kenya, and the effects of international migration on crop income in the Kyrgyz Republic. Through her teaching in the MOOC "Sustainable Food Security: Food Access" and the XSeries Programme in Food Security and Sustainability, she helps students understand complex development economics concepts while focusing on methods and techniques for field research. Her expertise spans multiple areas including impact assessment, program evaluation, and risk management, contributing significantly to our understanding of rural development and poverty alleviation strategies in developing countries.

Dr. Jeroen Candel serves as Associate Professor at the Public Administration and Policy Group of Wageningen University & Research, where he specializes in food policy and governance. After completing his bachelor in Public Administration and master in Public Governance (cum laude) at Utrecht University, he earned his PhD in 2016 studying EU governance of food security. His research focuses on innovative forms of food policy, including urban food policy, national food strategies, and the EU's Farm-to-Fork Strategy. He has received multiple prestigious recognitions, including the Van Poelje Award for best PhD dissertation in public administration (2017), the Lasswell Prize for Best Article in Policy Sciences (2021), and most recently the WUR Excellent Education Award (2023). As a member of the Dutch Council on Animal Affairs and the supervisory board of the Transitiecoalitie Voedsel, he actively engages with policymakers and societal actors to improve food governance. His work spans food and nutrition security governance, agricultural policy, democratic innovation within food systems, and public policy theory. Through his teaching of courses on Food Politics and European Union governance, and his contributions to the MOOC "Sustainable Food Security: Food Access," he continues to shape understanding of food policy while providing concrete suggestions for improved food governance. His research particularly emphasizes the integration of policy sciences with food systems research, exploring how governments can steer food systems towards more sustainable, healthier, and equitable outcomes.

Dr. Jeroen Candel serves as Associate Professor at the Public Administration and Policy Group of Wageningen University & Research, where he specializes in food policy and governance. After completing his bachelor in Public Administration and master in Public Governance (cum laude) at Utrecht University, he earned his PhD in 2016 studying EU governance of food security. His research focuses on innovative forms of food policy, including urban food policy, national food strategies, and the EU's Farm-to-Fork Strategy. He has received multiple prestigious recognitions, including the Van Poelje Award for best PhD dissertation in public administration (2017), the Lasswell Prize for Best Article in Policy Sciences (2021), and most recently the WUR Excellent Education Award (2023). As a member of the Dutch Council on Animal Affairs and the supervisory board of the Transitiecoalitie Voedsel, he actively engages with policymakers and societal actors to improve food governance. His work spans food and nutrition security governance, agricultural policy, democratic innovation within food systems, and public policy theory. Through his teaching of courses on Food Politics and European Union governance, and his contributions to the MOOC "Sustainable Food Security: Food Access," he continues to shape understanding of food policy while providing concrete suggestions for improved food governance. His research particularly emphasizes the integration of policy sciences with food systems research, exploring how governments can steer food systems towards more sustainable, healthier, and equitable outcomes.

Dr. Jessica Duncan serves as Associate Professor in the Politics of Food Systems Transformations at Wageningen University & Research, where she combines research and education with a commitment to social justice. After completing her PhD in Food Policy from City University London, she has established herself as a prominent voice in food governance and policy. Her research focuses on participation in food governance processes and the possibilities food policies provide for just and sustainable food systems transformation. She is the author of "Global Food Security Governance: Civil society engagement in the reformed Committee on World Food Security" (Routledge, 2015) and co-editor of "The Handbook for Sustainable and Regenerative Food Systems" (2021) and "Sustainable Food Futures: Multidisciplinary Solutions" (2017). Her excellence in teaching has been repeatedly recognized, winning Wageningen University's Teacher of the Year award in 2017 and being shortlisted in subsequent years. She has served as an expert on the EU Standing Committee for Agricultural Research's Foresight Team and sits on the editorial board of Sociologia Ruralis. As a founding Board Member of the Centre for Unusual Collaborations, she continues to advance understanding of food system transformation while developing innovative approaches to storytelling and student engagement. Her work particularly emphasizes the role of civil society in reshaping food security governance and the challenges of creating more equitable and sustainable food systems.

Dr. Ewout Frankema serves as Professor and Chair of the Economic and Environmental History Group at Wageningen University & Research, where he has established himself as a prominent scholar in comparative economic development and global inequality. After completing his studies in History, Economics, and Philosophy at the University of Groningen, where he obtained his PhD in Economics in 2008, he has built an impressive career examining the historical roots of global economic disparities. His research particularly focuses on understanding long-term economic development in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, employing a holistic approach that combines economic, social, colonial, and environmental history. His work has garnered significant recognition, including the prestigious Arthur H. Cole Award for the best paper in the Journal of Economic History in 2013, an ERC Starting Grant, and the 2019 AMMODO Science Award for outstanding mid-career scholarship. As Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Global History and research fellow of the UK Centre for Economic Policy Research, he continues to shape understanding of global economic development. His recent work explores South-South Divergence, examining how Asia's economic renaissance has influenced global income disparities and development patterns in the Global South. Through his teaching and research, including contributions to the Food Security and Sustainability program, he addresses critical questions about historical patterns of economic development and their implications for contemporary global inequality.