Farmer Irene Bruins’ ‘DOEMEE Dialogue Dinner’: Dairy farm serves as a knowledge center for CAMPS, September 9, 2020 – During the ‘DOEMEE Dialogue Dinner’ farmer and dietician Irene Prinsen-Bruins from Kampen received twelve very diverse guests at her company. During the dinner, dieticians, coaches, professors, an artist and entrepreneurs discussed how you can link a sustainable dairy farm and awareness about food and health in one company. Irene’s ambitions to turn her current farmyard into an Agro, Food and Health center were central during the dinner. Be aware of what is happening in society, was the main conclusion, and make the experience of sustainable and healthy food actually available to the consumer.
Erf-1, the company where Irene still farms and processes dairy with her parents, offers a beautiful historic site. They process their own milk into beautiful fresh dairy and cheese. Irene’s question to her table companions was: “How can I make a future-proof connection between Agro, Food and Health from my sustainable dairy and dairy company?” This question was central during the DOEMEE Dialogue Dinner. The various stakeholders discussed the opportunities they saw and the possibilities that the beautiful place offers. And how health and awareness could be linked to the existing sustainable company.
A place to learn about health and sustainability
Participants were clear: ERF-1 offers a wonderful place for awareness. The company invites you to look more consciously at the origin of your food, and shows how healthy soil, healthy cows and healthy and sustainable food are linked. A new business concept must connect to this and elaborate on current events and needs from society. The researchers from Wageningen UR who were present also wanted to help find ways to make health and awareness at the company concrete. Discover together how to create a place to learn about sustainable, sensible and healthy food. Such a place is attractive for consumers and society. The conversation showed that when you want to create awareness among the consumer, experience and knowledge go hand in hand. That also requires knowledge of what the consumer you already reach is important.
Collaboration offers new solutions
The challenge is, how do we bring that health and sustainability experience to the consumer? A number of conditions have been mentioned. For example, you have to take into account health label systems and regulations. In addition, experience and awareness must also yield something financially for the dairy farmer. To this end, customers are sought who subscribe to this mission. The health insurers, training programs for health care providers, were mentioned. The possibility of ERF-1 as a testing ground for sustainable agro-dietics was also discussed, in which the research is also participating. After the dinner, the participants made concrete agreements with each other and brought new insights with them that they can also apply in their own company.
Sustainable dairy sector in the spotlight
It was clear to the participants: sustainable dairy farming and a sustainable and healthy diet go hand in hand. And that of course not only applies to Irene’s company.
As part of a European campaign, the NZO is putting forward good examples of dairy farmers who succeed in achieving positive results in this area, in order to inspire others and provide concrete guidance. For example, the sector is showing that it is actively working to make production even more sustainable in order to make the Wheel of Five diet even more sustainable than it already is.
Dairy and Climate Campaign
This dialogue dinner is part of a campaign in six European countries on the activities of the European dairy sector to make it more sustainable (climate measures, soil-relatedness, biodiversity, circular agriculture, etc.). All this in the context of the increasing world demand for affordable, healthy food. The ‘European dairy on track’ campaign will run until 2020 in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Denmark and is co-funded by the European Commission.
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