The Netherlands—a country smaller than the state of West Virginia—is the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter by value. That productivity, however, has come with environmental and social costs, according to researchers at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). The current economic system prioritizes efficiency and growth over ecological and human well-being.
“This efficiency, this focus on more, has come at an expense of animal welfare and human welfare,” Evelien de Olde, Researcher at the Animal Production System Group, says in the Food 2050 film, which premieres January 2026 in partnership with Media RED, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Food Tank.
Together with Dr. Imke de Boer, Professor of Livestock and Sustainable Food Systems at WUR, de Olde wrote Re-rooting the Dutch Food System, a blueprint for transforming Dutch agriculture by redesigning how food is produced, consumed, and valued. They were named a Top Food System Visionary in 2020 by the Rockefeller Foundation. Their vision calls for a fundamental shift toward circular food systems that work with natural processes rather than against them.
“A circular system to feed the soil, respecting the life of the animals, and creating more conscious consumers. This combination of elements makes more sustainable food systems,” says de Olde.
One key change involves how land is used. In the Netherlands and globally, about 40 percent of arable land is used to grow feed for livestock instead of food for people. De Boer says that this is an inefficient use of land and nutrients that circular food systems can help correct.
“When you produce plant-sourced food for our consumption, you also automatically produce all kinds of co-products that you can feed directly to the animals. You want to circulate nutrients into the system,” says de Boer.
Protecting soil life is also critical to circulating nutrients. De Boer says a healthier, more sustainable food system uses intercropping, or planting multiple types of cr
