What drives you to be part of the Robin Food Coalition?
What drives me to be part of the Robin Food Coalition is the feeling that we are not alone. Working on systemic change can sometimes feel like a lonely path, especially when you are challenging existing structures. Within the coalition, I feel the power of people and organizations who also believe that things can be done differently. Together, we are building a food system that is fairer, gentler, and more future-proof. That sense of connection provides both courage and energy.
How do you believe food and agriculture can make a positive contribution to people and nature, and what role do you play in that?
In standard dairy practices, the cow and calf are usually separated shortly after birth. This has always weighed heavily on my heart. For a mammal, it doesn't feel right to grow up without its mother. I felt this had to change. Kalverliefde (Calf Love) shows that there is another way.
Food and agriculture can make a positive contribution when they restore relationships instead of breaking them. When a calf is allowed to drink from its mother, it creates peace in the herd, encourages natural behavior, and establishes a different rhythm on the farm. This ripples outward—into animal welfare, soil health, how a farmer views their animals, and ultimately, how we as consumers view our food.
With Kalverliefde, we are building a practice where the cow and calf can stay together and where farmers can earn an honest living doing so. Our role is to show that care for animals and nature does not have to come at the expense of economic reality, but can instead be the very foundation of it.
How can we support you in that role?
By helping us tell the story of Kalverliefde. By making space for both the emotion and the substance. And by connecting us to people, companies, and policymakers who dare to choose an agriculture where care is not an afterthought, but the foundation. Together, we can imagine and anchor the "new normal.".