ERASMUS Staff Training Mobility in Wageningen – Experiencing Agroecology as Science, Practice, and Movement!

For anyone researching food systems and agroecology, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) in the Netherlands is a key institution. As part of her PhD on the interaction and co-production of agroecological knowledge, with a focus on Sicily (particularly the practical agroecology school of the Valdibella cooperative), researcher and PhD candidate Linda Koch met Wageningen PhD candidate Giorgia Guidice through her fieldwork. Thanks to a scholarship from the ERASMUS Staff Training Mobility Program, Linda Koch was able to spend nine days on-site, gaining deeper insights into WUR and its surroundings.

Her main focus was on the work of the Chair Group for Knowledge, Technology and Innovation (KIT), especially under the guidance of Dr. David Ludwig, who specializes in the philosophy of knowledge and participatory action research. During her stay, she attended an event on “Political Ecology, Economy, Ontology, and Epistemology” in Wageningen and a lecture by Dr. David Ludwig on “Bridging Worldviews through Transdisciplinary Co-Production?” as part of the interdisciplinary lecture series “Exploring Worldviews” at the University of Groningen. She also had the opportunity to present and discuss her research at the KTI Lunch Lectures. Attendees were able to sample olive pesto, Jerusalem artichoke spread, and breadsticks made from an ancient Sicilian wheat variety called Timilìa. Furthermore, she engaged in intensive discussions with Giorgia Guidice, as well as with other PhD students and staff members.

Since WUR has been ranked as the world’s most sustainable university according to the Green Metric Ranking, Linda Koch also spoke with student staff at the Green Office about the similarities and differences in efforts toward socio-ecological transformation at WUR and JMU.

During her time in Wageningen, Linda Koch also explored the practical and activist side of agroecology. She participated in a meeting of Stichting Boerengroep (Farmers’ Foundation) Wageningen and helped out with the Student Kitchen, a student-led protest initiative drawing attention to the lack of affordable and sustainable meals in university cafeterias. The initiative provides meals made from local and seasonal products to students on a pay-what-you-can basis, with suggested donations covering the cost of ingredients and production.

Over the weekend, she joined other volunteers at Tuinderij het Lichtveen, a small agroecological farm, and worked in the Creative Community Garden, preparing garden beds. She also engaged with staff members at the Streekwar market stand, a local association for sustainable agriculture in and around Wageningen, and purchased some regional products. Additionally, she attended a meeting of Agroecology Netherlands at Tuinen van de Egel (Hedgehog Gardens) in Gorssel, where discussions focused on social justice and improving conditions for migrant workers in agriculture. At the end of the event, participants contributed by mulching trees and creating pathways in the fields.

During her stay, Linda Koch lived in a shared student house at Drouvendaal, a sustainable and community-oriented student residence. The housing complex features solar panels on each house, communal gardens, shared composting, bulk orders of organic food, and various community activities.

Overall, the one-and-a-half-week visit provided ample opportunities for exchange and networking, as well as a comprehensive insight into WUR and the Dutch university landscape. The ERASMUS Staff Training Mobility funding served as a flexible and accessible means of supporting academic and personal development while fostering international collaboration.