Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major threat for animal and public health and recognized by Heads of State in the General Assembly of the United Nations as a major issue on global scale. To contain AMR, antimicrobial usage (AMU) should be reduced as this is considered to be the main driver of selection for resistant bacteria. Furthermore, the veterinary use of (highly prioritized) critically important antimicrobials for human medicine should be reduced as much as possible and replaced by less important antimicrobials for human medicine. Preliminary data collected by consortium partners, showed considerable overuse of antimicrobials in the Indonesian poultry production. Scientific research is needed to support an evidence-based transition towards a sustainable poultry production chain with responsible use of antimicrobials. The research questions are i) why, what and how much antimicrobials are used in broiler production in Indonesia, ii) what alternatives for AMU are available iii) is it possible to reduce AMU by introducing tailor made on-farm intervention strategies. The parameters to be measured are reduction in AMU and the change in AMR levels on farms. One of the results of this project will be the development of a ‘best practice’ document to be used (inter)nationally by stakeholders and scientific publications to share the results with the scientific community. The consortium consists of research organisations, a commercial partner and 4 supporting organisations with strong links with the broiler sector in Indonesia. Two stakeholder meetings will be part of this project to ensure close involvement in the development of the intervention and in the end phase to communicate results and best practices to end-users. Several elements of capacity building are one of the pillars of the project. This project contributes to a safe and sustainable poultry food chain in Indonesia and reduces the risks of resistant bacteria for humans.

In the Randstad one of the most important future challenges is the potential global warming and its implication for mobility, economy and social-welfare. Given the location of the Randstad, climate change is expected to be one of those factors having a great impact on the future condition and vulnerability of the infrastructure network and consequently on the decision-making regarding the maintenance, renovation and reconstruction (MR&R)of infrastructure assets. However, while previous research has mainly focused on the climatologic consequences of different transportation modes, very little effort has been devoted to understand the implications of changing climate conditions for MR&R of infrastructure assets. Moreover, there is scarce understanding of the incorporation of climate data in MR&R decisions, the required strategic MR&R decisions to respond to probable climate change scenarios, and the interrelatedness of MR&R decision-making and policy processes. The main objective of this research programme is to improve the strategic MR&R decision-making at public agencies in the Randstad by integrating three interlinked areas of investigation: climate change, infrastructure asset performance, and policy development. These areas are studied in two research projects looking at the impact of changing local climate conditions on the performance of the infrastructure network in the Randstad, appropriate MR&R strategies to anticipate and mitigate climate change effects on infrastructure assets, and the integration of MR&R decision-making related to climate-induced effects on infrastructure in policy processes at public agencies in the Randstad.

Nyando Basin in western Kenya has severe problems of agricultural stagnation, environmental degradation and deepening poverty, aggravated by climate change causing more erratic rainfall patterns and shortening of growing season. CCAFS projects WUR-F2-P248 and ILRI-F1-F2-EA-P263 identified successful interventions supporting farmers to cope with these adverse effects. One of the most promising avenues combines drought-resistant breeds of goats with horticulture and agroforestry - a food production system that is climate-resilient and climate smart in closing nutrient cycles. This project aims to contribute to developing and upscaling this business model addressing three challenges: (1) designing a conducive financial environment that enables upscaling, (2) identifying additional value chain partners to increase financial viability, (3) identifying constraints, opportunities and required policy interventions at landscape level. An accompanying study of a more arid area closer to Nairobi (Wote village) highlights the generalizability of findings for areas where local interventions have yet to produce positive results.

Food systems research and policy analysis requires a detailed insight in interlinkages between different stages in the food system (input supply, production, processing, retail, consumption) as well as the coordination of network relationships amongst (public, private and civic) stakeholders. Innovations for healthier and sustainable diets need to be based on detailed insights into the dynamics of food system change and stakeholder responses to different types of (non)price incentives. The Wageningen-led food system flagship leads the conceptual development and operational design of applied research activities within the CRP Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). Key attention is therefore devoted to (a) the identification of critical interactions and incentives that influence food systems dynamics; (b) the mobilization of transdisciplinary knowledge and expertise to enhance food systems change; and (c) the creation of exchange facilities that enable multi-stakeholder cooperation towards food systems integration. The expert will support the above-mentioned activities through (1) identifying entry points for food systems change based on socio-technical interventions [cooperation between A4NH and other CRPs]; (2) systematic comparison of food systems dynamics in different focus countries (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Vietnam and Bangladesh) to identify suitable policy instruments for different settings and stages; and (3) analysis of different price and non-price incentives that could be effective for contributing to shifts towards healthier and more sustainable diets.

We study the transition to sustainable ecology-based agriculture by using mixed-cropping systems that combine multiple crop species on a single field. Our team elucidates the ecological processes that make mixed cropping systems sustainably productive and we identify which socio-economic and societal or institutional factor need to be resolved to overcome the lock-in in current conventional farming systems. To allow a broad spectrum of farmers, consumers and stakeholders to reach transition goals, we embrace variation in transition paths. We explicitly compare how existing international value chains require adjustments as well as how new short and local value chains can emerge.