dr. SCO (Sigrid) Wertheim-Heck

Sigrid Wertheim-Heck is associate professor in global food system sustainability at the Environmental Policy Group of Wageningen University, in The Netherlands. She is a fellow of the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions, and an associate with MoISA, Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (social and nutritional sciences), France. With a master in history, a master in Russian and Eurasian Studies, both from Leiden University, and a PhD in sociology from Wageningen University, Sigrid is interested in processes of societal transformation.

As a sociologist, her research takes a localized perspective on socio-technical food system transformations and the interrelations between urbanization, provisioning, and consumption, emphasizing bottom-up governance arrangements and the ways local practices connect with national and global dynamics.

In advancing global food system sustainability, her work adopts a reverse food system approach. Rather than starting from production and provisioning, her research begins with everyday consumption practices to understand and promote contextually appropriate and inclusive governance for environmentally and socially sustainable transformations. Through projects across Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe, she examines how these practices evolve and foster cross-contextual learning about global–local dynamics.

“To find solutions and directions for making the food system more sustainable requires a global perspective. I believe that a true global perspective can only be obtained when local, contextualised dynamics are well understood.”

Sigrid is Principle Investigator in urban food system transformation at the Amsterdam Institute of Advanced Metropolitan Solutions.

Sigrid is Member of the Board of TABLE a global platform for knowledge synthesis, for reflective, critical thinking and for inclusive dialogue on debates about the future of food.

Sigrid supports the CGIAR Better Diets and Nutrition (BDN) program as Senior Expert 'Better Diets and Nutrition': Sociological consumption perspectives for inclusive sustainability governance | NWO liaised to the Alliance Bioversity International & CIAT.

Sigrid stimulates interdisciplinary and cross-contextual learning on sustainable food security and is a strong advocate WUR Student Challenges and advisory committee member of the Food Systems Innovation Challenge | WUR

Before joining WUR, Sigrid was professor of applied sciences at Aeres University of Applied Sciences and had 20+ years international agro-food experience in the private sector.

• BoP Inc (1-9-2018/31-12-2099)
  Member of the non-excutive board
• Lux Art and Debat House (1-5-2019/31-12-2099)
  
• InScience (1-6-2020/31-12-2099)
  International Science Film Festival
• FoodSynectics (1-1-2016/31-12-2099)
  slapende ZZP