The milestone of Tara Grauwet

“A major interdisciplinary milestone that inspires me is the WHO’s ‘One Health’ concept. It stands for an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimise the health of people, animals and the environment. It means that the potential harm that an innovation causes to another part of our ecosystem has to be considered and balanced out. It’s the only way to create sustainable change. This way of thinking is always in the back of my mind, and it is a driving force behind my work.”

“At a conference, you can really connect with people and learn to understand each other.”

The only way to tackle the world's food challenges is through collaboration, according to Tara. “As food scientists and technologists, we need to establish a dialogue with agricultural or medical experts, for example. It's so important to cross the borders between disciplines and find the right partners. A conference is the ideal place to find and establish new collaborations. It allows you to really connect with people and learn to understand each other. In addition, being able to put a face to a name always works better than a blind email request. If I've learned anything in my career, it's that a network is a catalyst for achieving things.”

“In 2024, I'll be chairing the European Federation of Food Science and Technologist (EFFoST) conference in Bruges. We aim for a sharp focus on dialogue and collaboration there, also with the world beyond science, and even beyond industry. Today, when we talk about food and its processing, we often find influencers tackling the same topics, but from a very different standpoint. At the conference, we want to start the conversation with them too.” As to the location, Bruges was a very deliberate choice. “It's a beautiful city, of course. And its gastronomy and international accessibility open up perspectives.”

“I want to focus on dialogue and collaboration, also with the world beyond science and industry.”

“You can find heaps of information today, but it’s not always easy to see the wood for the trees,” says Tara. “With its programme, a good conference does the selecting for you. It provides you with an overview of recent trends and insights in a well-thought-out structure. You can just go, sit down and let the information come to you, so to speak. This is a much better alternative to the many days we spend sitting behind our computer or at our desk. Personally, I always come back from a conference brimming with ideas. It's a unique opportunity to dream undisturbed and to think.”