Speakers
Portraits and interviews of speakers at URBAgr'inn Days
Jan-Eelco Jansma, Jess Halliday, Eric Duchemin, Monika Onyszkiewicz, Marga Vintges, Guillaume Morel-Chevillet, Verónica Arcas-Pilz, Haïssam Jijakli...
Jan-Eelco Jansma
Dr Ir Jan-Eelco Jansma is an action researcher specialising in urban food systems at the Plant Sciences group of Wageningen University and Research (the Netherlands). With a BSc and MSc in agricultural science and a PhD in social sciences and planning, he has dedicated his career to improving the balance between agriculture and societal needs.
Over the past 25 years, he has explored different perspectives on urban food systems at local, national, and European levels. His work has a particular focus on policies, planning, and the integration of urban and peri-urban agriculture in territories.
Driven by an ambition for sustainable transformation, Dr Jansma stands out for his expertise and commitment to reconcile agriculture and society in a constantly changing world.
Jess Halliday
Jess Halliday is Chief Executive of RUAF CIC and coordinator of the RUAF Global Partnership on Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Food Systems (www.ruaf.org). She is a specialist in urban food systems governance, and provides consultancy and thought leadership on topics including urban agriculture policy, resilience to multiple shocks and stresses, gender and inclusion, and food environments. Current and recent projects include: lead consultant on the FAO-RUAF City Region Food Systems programme; consultant to the Hivos-Botnar Foundation Urban Futures programme; associate of the CGIAR Resilient Cities programme; co-editor of Urban Agriculture Magazine. Jess has authored a number of peer-reviewed publications, and is a regular speaker at international conferences.
Before joining RUAF in 2018, Jess co-authored a major report for the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) entitled ‘What makes urban food policy happen’. In 2015 she worked at Cirad on a project researching local government policy mechanisms and levers of urban food policies around the world.
Jess received her PhD in food policy from the Centre for Food Policy, City University London in 2015. Prior to this, she worked as a food and nutrition business journalist for over a decade.
Eric Duchemin
Scientific and Training Director at the Laboratoire d'agriculture urbaine (Laur), Éric Duchemin coordinates all interdisciplinary research at Laur. He is also responsible for supporting Laur's urban farms and social initiatives, as well as the organization's research facilities, including two rooftop urban farms and a business incubator.
For over 15 years, he has been conducting interdisciplinary research on urban agriculture to document this social movement. Among others, he has coordinated the research projects "Assessing urban agriculture as green infrastructure for individual and collective resilience in the context of climate and social change" and "Cultivating cities to nurture change". As director of the Laur, he has helped more than ten cities in Quebec to develop their urban agriculture strategies or food community plans.
An internationally-recognized specialist, he leads training courses, participates in committees and in research and intervention projects around the world, notably in Canada, France, Belgium and the United States.
Eric, what is your vision of urban agriculture?
Urban agriculture is a driver of change to make cities and food systems more ecological and resilient, while promoting the circular economy within cities and social inclusion. It enables the development of local alternative food systems. It brings citizens closer to agricultural issues and enables municipal authorities to get involved in food issues, for example through the development of policies and strategies. Finally, urban agriculture is also a space for innovation and experimentation in food production to meet tomorrow's environmental challenges.
How can we advance urban agriculture in Europe? In the world?
I answer here with my North American perspectiveUrban agriculture (more specifically, urban agribusiness) is no different from the existing agricultural sector, and its development requires government support. Both through support for the ecosystem services it brings to cities and through the establishment of an ecosystem of advisory services, training and research. Food production and the development of more ecological and resilient cities is a societal challenge, and urban agriculture is one of the tools for meeting it.
What role can urban agriculture play in the economy?
Economically, urban agriculture is still marginal in terms of job creation, but it is developing. It's important to remember that agricultural businesses are still in their infancy, and that the ecosystem supporting this economic sector within the agricultural sector has yet to be built up, and this is true for the vast majority of regions and countries. On the other hand, urban agriculture is a nursery for young farmers and the development of local food networks. Lufa Farms, with 50,000 customers a week and almost 900 employees, is just one example of the economic potential of urban agriculture.
We have conducted two studies on this subject, available at the following links (in french):
LES ENTREPRISES AGRICOLES URBAINES AU QUÉBEC : IMPACT ÉCONOMIQUE ET POTENTIEL DE DÉVELOPPEMENT
Monika Onyszkiewicz
© Monika
Monika Onyszkiewicz is a key figure in promoting sustainable urban agriculture in Poland. She is associated with the Fundacja EkoRozwoju (Foundation for Ecological Development), where she plays a central role in initiatives aimed at transforming urban landscapes into productive green spaces.
Since 2024, she has been involved in the European FOODCITYBOOST project, which aims to assess the impact of urban agriculture and develop policies to promote its sustainable development. This project brings together 20 partners from 9 countries and implements "living labs" in six European cities, including Wrocław, Poland.
Previously, Monika contributed to the FoodSHIFT2030 project (2020-2024), focused on transforming European food systems toward models based on a low-carbon circular economy. In this capacity, she facilitated collaboration between consumers, restaurateurs, and food producers to promote urban agricultural solutions in Wrocław.
Her commitment also extends to promoting fair trade in Poland. She is a board member of Fundacja Fairtrade Polska, a non-profit organization representing Fairtrade International in Poland.
Marga Vintges
Marga Vintges is a strategic advisor on horticultural innovation and international cooperation for the municipality of Westland and the regional cluster Greenport West-Holland. She graduated in 1984 with a master’s degree in biophysics in Utrecht and began her career in science policy, holding positions in the Dutch government, the Science Council of the Netherlands and the Technical University of Delft.
Convinced of the importance of national and international cooperation to strengthen the position of science, she played a key role as president of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), where she was able to create links between the science policies of the different Member States.
In her role as strategic advisor for the municipality of Westland, Marga Vintges has become an expert in innovation policy applied to horticulture. In particular, she is committed to have the importance of horticulture recognised at the European level. Her work also includes developing and strengthening cooperation within the regional cluster Greenport West-Holland, which is at the heart of the Dutch horticultural industry. With strategic vision and proven expertise, Marga Vintges continues to promote innovation and collaboration in the horticultural sector, strengthening the position of this field in Europe and beyond.
Marga, can you develop your vision of urban agriculture?
Urban agriculture is especially needed in metropolitan areas were getting fresh food, like vegetables and fruits, is a logistic challenge. Not the quality and quantity of food production, but the quality of the logistic system for fresh products is due to a healthy diet for everyone.
How can we advance urban agriculture in Europe? In the world?
Urban agriculture askes for special save production systems and areas like Controlled Agriculture Environments (CEA). There is a need for spatial planning for these areas connected to fresh water, energy (if needed), knowledge, logistic connections (transport and internet).
Economically, what place can urban agriculture occupy?
Every city or metropolitan area can occupy urban agriculture. But policy to create a place with the right resources is needed.
Guillaume Morel-Chevillet
Guillaume Morel-Chevillet is a researcher and consultant in urban agriculture and nature at Astredhor, France's technical institute for horticulture. Trained as a landscape architect and engineer, he first worked for eight years in France and the United States, notably on green roof projects. In 2013, during a stay in Montreal, Canada, he discovered the urban agriculture movement, which transformed his career.
Since 2015, he has devoted himself to urban agriculture research at ASTREDHOR. Between 2015 and 2017, he analyzed more than 70 professional urban agriculture projects in the United States, Canada, Europe and France. Since 2017, he has been involved in national and European research programs on urban agriculture and teaches at several universities and engineering schools.
With Astredhor, Guillaume Morel-Chevillet also founded TechnAU, a consultancy dedicated to urban agriculture, which supports public and private players in their projects. Author of the book "Agriculteurs Urbains, du balcon à la profession" (Éditions France Agricole, 2017), he explores the new professions created by urban agriculture, such as social landscape architects, rooftop greenhouse gardeners, indoor growers and urban microfarm operators. This book, currently available exclusively in French, also looks at how the traditional agricultural sector might evolve as a result of this dynamic.
With his expertise and innovative vision, Guillaume Morel-Chevillet plays a central role in the development and professionalization of urban agriculture, a key sector for the future of cities.
Guillaume, what is your vision of urban agriculture?
The urban agriculture of 2025 is not the same as that of 2015. It has matured considerably, and sustainable models are now better known, such as social farms integrated into the heart of neighborhoods: integration through work, education. In France in particular, these models have been promoted by dynamic institutional players. Other forms, such as urban farms on the outskirts of towns and cities for food production, have also proved their worth as part of urban food relocation strategies.
On the other hand, more technological forms of farming are finding it harder to spread and survive, except in certain island or desert contexts. I'm thinking here of indoor farms and rooftop greenhouses. In my opinion, this is due to the high level of investment, operating costs and the fact that the activity is mono-focused on plant production. Tomorrow's urban agriculture will probably be a hybridization between urban nature spaces (parks, gardens) and productive spaces (market gardening, arboriculture), meeting the needs of city dwellers for refreshment, healthy food, social ties and air quality.
How can we advance urban agriculture in Europe? In the world?
A huge question! I believe that the urban agriculture movement has gained relative credibility with public players, but that a shift towards economic robustness is lacking to really roll out urban agriculture across European and global cities. This economic shift must be underpinned by a collective awareness of the importance of these forms of productive urban nature. It also requires long-term protection of agricultural land in cities. One striking example is the 400 farms in Tokyo's Nerima district. These historic agricultural production tools foster a real bond between the inhabitants of this district, while offering a unique landscape. However, the advanced age of these urban farmers and real estate pressure on their increasingly unprotected land are leading to a gradual decline in these farms. On the other hand, in France, public policies to combat urban sprawl (ZAN law) and reterritorialize food (Territorial Food Projects) are encouraging the protection of farmland and the development of productive agricultural forms on the bangs of cities. It is therefore at the level of each city, each country, that urban agriculture can progress.
What role can urban agriculture play in the economy?
I believe that the economic models for urban agriculture are at the crossroads of several fields. First and foremost, there's the social sector, with models similar to those of the social and solidarity economy (over 10% of PBI in France, after all!), but also urban nature, landscaping (for your information, the landscape sector represents nearly 8 billion euros in sales in France) and, finally, local, healthy food.
The movement therefore has several solutions for deployment in a wide range of economic sectors. The key to a project's success is, of course, to target a precise demand for a well-identified clientele, whether for the sale of a product or a service. To help structure the movement, urban farmers can also turn to self-help networks, such as Afaup in France, which federates nearly 200 professional entrepreneurs. It's a real success story that's guaranteed to last!
Verónica Arcas-Pilz
Dr. Verónica Arcas-Pilz is a postdoctoral researcher at the Sostenipra Research Group of the Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB). She holds a degree in Biology from the UAB, with a specialization in Plant Biology and Physiology, and a Master's degree from the University of Hohenheim (Germany) in "Environmental Protection and Agricultural Food Production".
She completed her PhD at the Sostenipra Research Group, where her thesis focused on reducing the environmental footprint of urban agricultural production, from a circular economy perspective. Her current work focuses on symbiotic flows between agriculture and cities, with a focus on the valorization of urban waste flows for local agricultural production.
Her expertise, at the intersection of plant biology, urban agriculture and the circular economy, makes her a key figure in research aimed at strengthening the sustainability of urban food systems.
Verónica, can you develop your vision of urban agriculture?
I envision Urban Agriculture to be totally integrated within the urban landscape. Not only physically, with integrated greenhouses in buildings or as green walls and serving as climatic buffers but also integrated in the urban metabolism serving as sink for urban flows and as resource for citizens. I also envision it as an educational tool, to bring people closer to agriculture and the effort and cost required to grow crops.
How can we advance urban agriculture in Europe? In the world?
I think the key is not only research in potential benefits associated to the environment and wellbeing but also with the public acceptance and the understanding of possible synergies between urban agriculture and the city that can make it interesting, profitable for other sectors.
Economically, what place can urban agriculture occupy?
Haïssam Jijakli
