Videos

Maria

Culman

KU Leuven

VITO

Satellite images: giving computers better eyes for tree mapping

Trees are an important source of food and fuel for local communities all over the world. It is important to map them, so as to be able to protect them. But how do you start mapping millions of trees? Well, by combining satellite images with digital image processing technology. Problem solved? Not yet, as even computers have a hard time recognizing trees on top-down satellite images of the Earth's surface. Maria Culman (KU Leuven - VITO) explains how she intends to overcome this challenge.

Wannes

Slosse

UGent

Strong together: Congolese coffee farmers in conflict area

Do you also just love coffee? A lot of good coffee comes from Kivu and Ituri, regions in eastern Congo where fierce fighting has raged for years between rebel groups and the state. How do coffee farmers manage to produce and sell coffee despite this difficult situation? Cooperatives play an important role in this, explains Wannes Slosse.

Maroua

Grira

UGent

Reforesting 80.000 trees a day: a mission impossible?

Did you know that it's possible to grow 1 million new trees in one year starting from (fragments of) one single plant? By using the promising technique of in vitro propagation, Maroua Grira (Ghent University) wants to save tree species such as Mahogany & Dalbergia from extinction.

Lotte

Van Peteghem

UGent

What if we fed bacteria to our fish and pigs? 🦠 🍽 🐟 🐖

Imagine that you could use the CO2 emissions of factories to feed animals! Two birds with one stone. Well, this is possible! in this video, Lotte Van Peteghem (Ghent University) explains how she would like to use the CO2 emissions of steel factory Arcelor Mittal to eventually feed about 150,000 pigs

Evelien

Cronin

ILVO

UGent

Innovation for a more sustainable agriculture 🚜 👨🏽‍🌾

A strawberry picking robot: a fine example of innovation in agriculture. Yet innovations seem difficult to spread in the agricultural sector. That's why Evelien Cronin is researching how we can improve the innovation process: "Alone you go faster, but together you get further."

Anastasia

Papangelou

KU Leuven

The circle of food

Our poo and pee are too precious to waste, says Angelou Papangelou. The phosphorus in our excrement and in animal manure can serve as the food of our food and shouldn't go to waste. That's why Anastasia Papangelou is mapping the nutrient stocks and flows in the country, so that we can put our poo and pee to good use!

Jinat

Hossain

KU Leuven

Staying afloat: how rural Bangladeshi women adapt to changing climate

The land of farmers in coastal Bangladesh remains flooded for almost half of the year. To tackle this, Bangladeshi farmers use 'floating farms'. Jinat Hossain tells you more about this innovative adaptation mechanism.

Sara

Petit-Jean

KU Leuven

White bread, but deliciously rich in fibre

Do you also love bread? Belgians eat an average of 33 kg of bread a year, about 1,000 slices. But that's mostly white bread, which doesn't contain much fibre. To make us eat more of that healthy fibre, Sara Petit-Jean (KU Leuven) is working on new, high-fibre white bread.

Tessa

Acar

UGent

Can we use bacteria to cure plants?

Each of us has lost a precious plant to aphids or other insects before. Unfortunately, most insecticides to combat these creatures are harmful to the environment. That's why Tessa Acar is committed to the development of a new and better weapon: bacteria that can fight insects.

Reindert

Devlamynck

UGent

Will duckweed be on our menu soon?

In order to provide the growing world population with sufficient protein, Reindert Devlamynck (University of Ghent) focuses on duckweed. In addition to ducks, he also wants people to eat this tasty little plant and is setting a good example for himself 🍽

Astrid

Gadeyne

UGent

VIB

More corn with less fertilizer 🌽

Fertilization is crucial in agriculture, but over-fertilization causes environmental pollution and all-rich algae growth in our watercourses. Wouldn't it be great if plants and crops could grow well with less fertilizer? That's what Astrid Gadeyne wants to achieve in her PhD.

Frederik

Engelen

UGent

To beef or not to beef?

Frederik Engelen is working on vaccines for cattle. This way, he wants to ensure that beef does not become contaminated with a dangerous variant of the e-coli bacterium.