Eat This Invitations
Invite, inform, engage and connect leading media, influencers, celebrities, creative thinkers and politicians to show them horticulture, a leading innovator in the food domain, at work.
Philosopher in residence
In the past year, EatThis. has had the pleasure to invite various experts to the world of horticulture.
We kicked off with Clemens Driessen, philosopher at Wageningen University who was also involved in compiling part of the Guggenheim exhibition ‘Countryside, the Future’ and therefore did extensive research into the rich history of food production and its societal connections in the Westland area. During his meetings he focused on how the Westland area has evolved in terms of collective collaboration.
Photographer in residence
Kadir van Lohuizen was our first ‘photographer in residence’ in March/April 2022. Post-Covid, he was able to trace the difficulties the horticultural sector are dealing with, putting them in a global context. At the same time his work concentrated on portraying the people working in greenhouses. His work is currently being compiled into a television series (VPRO’s Tegenlicht), a series of articles in Dutch newspaper Trouw and the Washington Post. In autumn 2023 a large exposition on global food systems ‘Food for Thought’ will open at the Scheepvaart Museum in Amsterdam.
Medic and Scientist in residence
In the last week of August 2022, Hanno Pijl, well known Endocrinologist and Professor Diabetology at Leiden University Medical Center (Lumc) and author of several books on health and lifestyle visited several horticultural companies. As a doctor, he advocates a healthy lifestyle with healthy, unprocessed food, instead of resorting to medication too quickly. His passion for nutrition and health stems from the consulting room.
“Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetics and unhealthy lifestyle. Our “western” diet plays a major role in this. It is abhorrent that we try to limit the damage with medicine, while adjusting to a healthy lifestyle can prevent and reverse the disease. We are also increasingly aware that a bad diet plays an important role in the development of many other chronic diseases, such as cancer, but also heart disease and strokes”
He was impressed by what he saw and plans to follow up along several lines of interest, ranging from preventive health care, but also projects that focus on designing new residential districts that connect with their residents’ health.
Sports & Health Professionals in residence
In December 2022, 3 renowned professionals in the world of Food & Top Sports to met with the world of Horticulture and Food Production:
- Benito Maij, former Olympic Judo Coach and founder and director of the SportsLink platform.
- Esther van Etten, sports dietician, entrepeneur and Podcast host.
- Leroy van de Ree, online food expert with more than 224.000 followers.
The common thread of their in-residency was the relation between healthy plants and healthy people, and how to positively affect health.
Comedian & Anthropologist in residence
From February 1 – 3 2023, EatThis organized another multi-day residency in horticulture. This time, comedian, writer, tv and radio host Dolf Jansen and corporate anthropologist Jitske Kramer were invited for a deep dive into the world of modern food production. The versatile duo started their journey with a visit to the Westlands Museum for some historical perspective, whereafter they paid visits to a selection of renowned Dutch horticulture companies for guided tours and meetings with their visionary leaders. With lots of media exposure, we haven’t only been able to immerse them into this wonderful world, but many viewers and readers as well.
We will keep you posted on specific project and activities that will come out of these ‘in residencies’.
If you’d like to invite specific experts or influencers to get involved and be part of the next EatThis. In Residency, do not hesitate to contact us!