Delta Protein kicks off with a well-attended event

The flagship project Delta Protein of the Delta Climate Center was officially launched on Wednesday, September 4, with a well-attended event at Dockwize.

Delta Protein focuses on producing sustainable, delicious, affordable, and healthy food from the Zeeland delta, both from the sea and the land. The concept is simple: utilize what nature provides and ensure that local entrepreneurs benefit from it.

After the opening by project leader Klaas Timmermans, food designer Marije Vogelzang inspired all attendees with a showcase of her projects. Among them were her vegetarian fantasy animals, such as the Ponti, from her project 'Faked Meat'. 

Panel Discussion

This was followed by an explanation of the project, which consists of four work packages, and a panel discussion. Representatives from research institutions, environmental organizations such as ZMf and Natuurmonumenten, and the business sector discussed what should and should not be done to make the food transition in Zeeland a success. Led by Timmermans and Johan Dourleijn from FoodDelta Zeeland, the discussion focused on opportunities and risks, dos and don’ts, and how participants in the flagship project can respond to them.

Commitment

After lunch, everyone got creative. In teams, they built their vision of the future Province of Zeeland. Albert Klein Tank, scientific director of the Delta Climate Center, was pleased with the outcome. "I am delighted that the stakeholders confirmed that the Delta Climate Center is on the right track with this project on sustainable food, and they expressed their willingness to contribute ideas for its further development."

Delta Protein is the first of three flagship projects of the Delta Climate Center. The climate center in Vlissingen is off to a flying start. All founding organizations of the Delta Climate Center are participating: Scalda, HZ University of Applied Sciences, University College Roosevelt, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, and Wageningen University & Research.