Welcoming new perspectives to the Foodvalley Board
Across the world, the food system is under pressure. Yet solutions are emerging everywhere. Farmers are experimenting with new practices, new product developers are working on new products and ingredients, retailers are responding to changing consumer expectations, and entrepreneurs are bringing new ideas to market. The challenge is rarely a lack of ideas. The challenge is helping promising solutions become part of everyday life.
For more than twenty years, Foodvalley has helped shape the future of food by bringing together the people and organisations that can make that happen. Our role is to help what is emerging connect with what is established, creating the conditions for organisations to move together and bring promising solutions to scale.
We are therefore delighted to welcome three new members to the Foodvalley Board: Peter Ploegsma, Diederik Slot and Peter de Roos. Together, they contribute complimentary perspectives shaped by science, philanthropy, and retail bringing valuable insights to the conversations and decisions that guide Foodvalley’s work.
From left to right: Peter Ploegsma, Diederik Slot and Peter de Roos
As Chair of the Board Linda Broekhuizen explains:
“I am delighted to welcome Peter, Diederik and Peter to the Foodvalley Board. Each brings a distinct perspective and a strong personal commitment to the food transition. Their experience will help us ask better questions, build new connections and support promising solutions in reaching scale.”
Peter Ploegsma: connecting knowledge, health and society
For Peter Ploegsma, CFO Wageningen University & Research, one of the defining questions of our time is how we continue to feed a growing global population while keeping our planet liveable for future generations. Food security is a basic need for everyone. At the same time, the transition towards a more sustainable food system raises important questions about how society can move forward together.
Peter is particularly interested in how society can navigate the transitions needed to create a food system that is both resilient and sustainable. He also has a strong interest in the relationship between sustainable nutrition and human health. For Peter, food security, planetary health and public health belong within the same conversation.
As Peter explains: “The transitions our food systems require will only succeed if all parties play their part.”
Foodvalley helps create the conditions for this by bringing together people with different perspectives, enabling organisations to challenge one another, share knowledge and move forward together.
As a Board member, Peter hopes to strengthen the connection between the latest insights emerging from Wageningen University & Research and the innovations being developed across society and the food chain.
Diederik Slot: bringing experience, networks and a sense of urgency
For Diederik Slot, Country Manager Porticus, awareness of the challenges facing our food system has grown steadily over the years. From the quality of the food we consume and its impact on health, to pressure on natural resources, biodiversity and the need to feed a growing world population, the challenges are interconnected and increasingly urgent.
What gives him confidence is the concentration of knowledge, entrepreneurship and innovation around Foodvalley. As Diederik puts it: “Foodvalley is uniquely positioned to connect innovative solutions with producers, retailers and other established players.”
Diederik was invited to join the Board because of his extensive experience, network and insights in philanthropy. Maintaining Foodvalley’s independent position requires a strong mix of public, private and philanthropic funding and long-term partnerships. Drawing on that experience, he hopes to help Foodvalley strengthen the partnerships and momentum needed to accelerate change, while also serving as a sounding board for the organisation. The goals Foodvalley works towards concern all of us, he believes, and achieving them will require people and organisations to join forces and take shared responsibility.
Peter de Roos: bringing the consumer perspective into the transition
For Peter de Roos, CEO of Lidl Nederland, change starts with understanding the reality of consumers. Every week, Lidl serves millions of people across the Netherlands. That gives him a unique view of how societal ambitions translate into everyday choices at the supermarket shelf.
Over recent years, he has seen growing awareness of the relationship between food, health and sustainability. At the same time, he knows how difficult change can be. Progress requires balancing ambition with affordability, ensuring healthier and more sustainable choices remain within reach for consumers.
As Peter puts it: “We have an important responsibility to ensure healthy and sustainable choices remain affordable for everyone.”
That practical perspective aligns closely with Foodvalley’s role of helping promising innovations move beyond pioneers and into everyday practice.
Peter is particularly interested in learning from the expertise gathered across the Foodvalley network and contributing the consumer perspective that comes from seeing, every day, how decisions and innovations resonate with consumers in real life.
Shaping the future of food together
Peter Ploegsma, Diederik Slot and Peter de Roos each look at the food system from a different perspective. Peter Ploegsma connects scientific knowledge with health, society and the wider food transition. Diederik Slot adds experience in the philanthropic world building the long-term partnerships needed to turn ambition into action. Peter de Roos brings direct insight into consumer choices, affordability and the realities of retail.
They join the Foodvalley Board in a personal capacity. Drawing on their experience, they bring fresh perspectives and help identify new opportunities. Together with the other Board members, they support Foodvalley in staying focused on its role: seeing what is next, building collective action and scaling what works.
We warmly welcome Peter, Diederik and Peter to the Foodvalley board and look forward to shaping the future of food together.