Maastricht University wants to solve world issues through food

What we call today the nitrogen crisis is a ripple in the pond.' It's a refreshing sound from the mouth of chemist and administrator Thomas Cleij. He says that other chemical element carbon, or climate change, is the really big issue.

'But we can only tackle that problem globally, where everyone will have to contribute. If you look at the North Limburg region and agriculture and horticulture, I think aging is the biggest social issue. And the question of what role food can play in caring for our elderly '

Cleij is dean of the Maastricht Faculty of Science and Engineering. He manages five hundred employees and is responsible for the education of over three thousand university students. He is one of the creators and founder of the Brightlands Future of Farming Institute in Venlo, Limburg.

At the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, the university is pushing hard. On the first floor and second floor of the Villa Flora are the students who are mainly concerned with food and health. In the coming years, university education and research on the theme of future agriculture will also take shape. In the course of next year, its own office, laboratory and plant greenhouse will rise.

Maastricht University has entered into cooperation with BASF Vegetable Seeds in this regard. This makes it immediately clear where the focus will be in the initial phase: on horticulture and, in even more detail, on plant genetics. From breeding to the technology to optimize growth.