Laura van Bellen Researcher & Advisor

Laura van Bellen works at DRIFT as an advisor and researcher in various fields, with a focus on food systems and biodiversity. She is interested in the underlying modes of thinking related to sustainability challenges, especially how humans relate to nature.

Currently she is working on the EU-project SHARED GREEN DEAL, looking at how local (food) practices relate to the Green Deal, as well as a transition analysis on rural areas with the Province of Overijssel, and a project about the democratization of the cultural sector.

She holds a bachelor in Nanobiology from TU Delft, and a master in Resilient Food and Farming systems from Wageningen University. During her masters she took a technical as well as a social approach to food systems and agriculture, including a minor on human-nature relationships. This interdisciplinary background allows her to make connections between different fields and stakeholders. Projects she has worked on include a thesis about medicinal plant use in multicultural neighborhoods, and a project about enhancing nature-connectedness within organizations. During her participation in the ‘National ThinkTank’ she focused on biodiversity loss in the Netherlands, which resulted in the development of a circular seed cooperative for farmers.

Laura is curious about a lot of topics and enjoys a wide range of activities in her free time, such as cooking, gardening, sports, and creating various forms of art.