The World Food System Center’s 10th Summer School took place this summer, exploring several teaching methodologies and bringing prominent experts on stage to speak about cross-disciplinary issues pertaining to the intertwined social and food systems. Aside from the well-designed technical curriculum, the multiculturality of the cohort as well as the choice of the venue of the Summer School, provide a unique chance for participants to embed themselves in a treasure-learning environment with a long-lasting personal experience. One of the Summer School participants explores this idea in an unconventional and personal manner, linking her experience with the picturesque beauty of Rheinau and the intense interaction among its participants.

Zinc and iron deficiencies have increasingly come into the focus of health science research, as less developed but also industrialized countries are affected by these micronutrient deficiencies. Such deficiencies can be linked to inadequate intakes of iron and zinc and low dietary bioavailability of these micronutrients. As meat consumption decreases in wealthy societies due to the growing concerns of animal and environmental welfare, alternative zinc and iron sources are required. In contrast to regular meat consumption and the established alternate source through synthetic supplementation, our team focused on the research of wheat-based micronutrient sources. To what extent can the human requirement of iron and zinc be covered by plant-based diets and are they adequate for the substitution of meat as the conventional and proven iron and zinc source?

I was born in Ukraine just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and spent my childhood witnessing the severe crisis of a country transitioning from a planned to a market economy. There was literally no food to buy at the shops as supply chains collapsed. I learned first-hand what a disrupted food system looks like. Fortunately, Ukraine is rich in agriculture. My grandparents had a large garden where we grew fruits and vegetables for our own consumption with zero pesticides or sophisticated technology. That was the beginning of my connection to agriculture.