Category Archives: Planetary Health

Planetary Health

Outcomes from the First European Planetary Health Congress

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The First European Planetary Health Congress, held from 5 to 7 July 2023 at ARTIS in Amsterdam, represented a significant milestone in the global movement of Planetary Health. The event brought together 121 attendees from academia and the private sector dedicated to addressing the impact of human disruptions to natural systems on the well-being of life on Earth. Co-organized by Natura Artis Magistra (ARTIS) and the European Hub of the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA), the Congress featured five workshops: The Future of Planetary Health Cities, Impact through Synergy, Planetary Health Education, Movement Building, and Food and Microbes. Oral presentations addressed the theme of how human health and the health of human civilization depend on the natural environment, including subthemes on Earth, Water, and Food. Additionally, the subtheme of Humans reflected on how humanity can thrive within Planetary Boundaries and how to imagine a prosperous future for all life on Earth. The First European Planetary Health Congress offered a platform for fostering sustainable, just, and equitable societies within ecological limits. Accordingly, ARTIS and the European Hub aim to shape a hopeful future for generations to come.

Read the full paper here: Kort, R.; Arts, K.; Antó, J.M.; Berg, M.P.; Cepella, G.; Cole, J.; van Doorn, A.; van Gorp, T.; Grootjen, M.; Gupta, J.; et al. Outcomes from the First European Planetary Health Congress at ARTIS, Amsterdam. Challenges 2023, 14, 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe14040049

consumer behaviour, Ecological Footprint, Human Health, Planetary Health, Sustainable Development

Understanding food cultures are important for reducing dietary environmental impacts

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Our food consumption patterns play a major role in determining both human and planetary health. A substantial body of evidence has shown that the current worldwide food consumption is not only contributing to 19–29% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but is also responsible for using 37% of the Earth’s landmass.

Furthermore, worldwide rising income and urbanization have contributed to the dietary transition from plant-based products to more animal-based diets, and the category of “meat and meat products” contributes most to the environmental footprint in many parts of the world. The situation is expected to get worse as more populations are experiencing dietary transition, resulting in asymmetrical environmental degradation around the world.

Our study highlighted the importance to better understand the effects of geographical location and related food cultures for reducing the dietary environmental impacts. The present study also indicated that meat was the main source of the dietary environmental footprint in contemporary China, while the over-consumption of meat is severe for all groups of Chinese people.

Reversing this trend in China and other countries, and increasing the consumption of foods that are consistently associated with low environmental impacts, would undoubtedly have multiple environmental benefits. Hence, more interventions that seek to change people’s food consumption behaviors are specifically needed. This will require a better understanding of how individuals’ dietary behaviors are influenced by the interaction effect of economic conditions and dietary cultures within which individuals are embedded, not only in China but also in other countries with diverse food cultures.

Read the full paper here: Su, B., Zhang, C., Martens, P. & Cao, X. (2023). How economic and geographical indicators affect dietary environmental footprint: Evidence from China. Ecological Indicators, Volume 148, April 2023, 110075, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110075

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Human Health, indigenous worldview, interdisciplinary, Planetary Health, scientivism, Sustainable Development

Planetary Health: The Recipe for a Sustainable Future

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The concept of Planetary Health is too human-oriented. The emphasis here is mainly on the consequences for our health through global environmental disturbances. Later definitions are already better, with the focus more on the health of our planet and the realization that human health ultimately depends on the health of the planet. For example, climate change and the decrease in biodiversity are unhealthy for the earth and everything that lives on it, including humans. However, the field of Planetary Health is more than that. It is not only the realization that everything is connected, but also the realization that it is not nearly enough to keep the planet ‘as it is’. Positive, regenerative development must take place to keep the planet and everything on it healthy. This also includes a different way of dealing with our earth, a change of perspective. When we respect our planet, we respect life, we respect ourselves. That is also what I believe Planetary Health stands for. Taking sustainability to the next level!

Read, watch or listen to my inaugural address regarding the Chair Planetary Health below:

Education, Planetary Health, Science, Wetenschap

Vacancies System Earth Science and Plant Systems Biology

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Hiring! Some wonderful vacancies:

We are seeking outstanding individuals to join our faculty to help develop our new activities in the areas of system earth science and plant systems biology at the Maastricht University Campus Venlo, The Netherlands.

Professor Plant Ecology/Biodiversity

Assistant Professor Plant Ecology and Biodiversity

Assistant Professor Planetary Health

Professor Sustainable Food Systems

Assistant Professor Plant Systems, Computational or Synthetic Biology

Human Health, Planetary Health

Planetary Health leaders unite to build transformational change

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‘We must act now!’ Organizations from across Europe come together to address the Planetary Health crisis being precipitated by the Earth crisis

AMSTERDAM – A new network of over 72 organizations from 12 countries was activated during a convening at ARTIS on September 26-27. Representatives are aligned around the transdisciplinary field and social movement of Planetary Health, which analyzes and addresses the impacts of human disruptions to natural systems on human health and all life on Earth. The Planetary Health European Hub consists of organizations from sectors including universities, healthcare, youth, business, civil society, and more. 

Co-organized by the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) and the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC), the new hub was conceived to focus on the policy, funding, and organizational landscapes that make Europe rich in opportunities for building transformational change. 

“From the European Green Deal, the Health Environment Research Agenda for Europe, to the upcoming Horizon Health 2023 Agenda, now is the time to connect the dots, build collaborations, make links within the policy community, and fund Planetary Health priorities at scale,” said Sam Myers, Director of the Planetary Health Alliance and Principle Research Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Members of the European Hub, including Maastricht University, came together in person and online and agreed on the Hub’s principles, developed working groups to tend to plans in research, education, policy, and movement building, shared lessons learned, built relationships, and set the framework for sustaining the Hub into the future.

For more information about the Planetary Health European Hub or to get involved, visit https://www.planetaryhealthalliance.org/pha-regional-hubs or follow the Planetary Health Alliance on social media.

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Human Health, interdisciplinary, Planetary Health, scientivism, Sustainable Development

Planetary Health: Taking sustainability to the next level

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After being a professor of Sustainable Development for more than 18 years, I am proud to let you know that – as of today – I will hold the chair Planetary Health at Maastricht University.

For me, Planetary Health has always been the foundation of sustainable development. However, the sustainability debate has been hijacked in recent years by industry and governments. Their view regarding sustainable development significantly has been subordinate to the dogma of economic growth with little regard for planetary health. How shortsighted this is, has been illustrated by the various outbreaks of zoonotic diseases (with corona as one of the latest examples), our current climate crises and the global decline of biodiversity. These are just some examples, but it is increasingly clear that our own well-being is closely connected with the health of the planet on which we live.

It is not nearly enough to keep the planet ‘as is’. There has to be a positive, regenerative development in order to make the planet, and everything on it, healthy. If we respect our planet, we respect life, we respect ourselves. That is also what the new chair Planetary Health stands for. Taking sustainability to the next level!