The jury, composed of Adri den Dekker (former Director of Procurement, Agriculture, and Sustainability at HAK), Frederike Praasterink (Professor of Future Food Systems), and Joachim Nieuwhoff (Procurement Director at HAK), selected Juan as the winner.
Juan Felipe Camacho Mancheno Wins Fourth Edition of the Adri den Dekker Prize
Juan Felipe Camacho Mancheno, a fourth-year International Food & Agribusiness student at HAS green academy, has been announced as this year’s proud winner of the Adri den Dekker Prize. This prestigious award, presented annually by HAK, challenges students to develop the best ideas to make agriculture more sustainable and future-proof. The prize also includes a €2000 scholarship.
In his essay, Juan reflected on how humanity interacts with nature and the food system. He looked back at the past and issued a powerful call to learn from previously made choices and to reform the food system in a more sustainable way. During his presentation, he inspired the audience with insights from his essay Beyond the supermarket: A vision for sustainable food systems such as: "The moment we thought we understood how nature worked, we positioned ourselves as rulers of the world" and "The same ingenuity that got us here in the first place, can get us out to a better future."
You are not only describing the problems in our current system, but showing us a path forward.
Jury chair Adri den Dekker praised Juan's essay: "You are not only describing the problems in our current system, but showing us a path forward." He added: "You highlight the most important part: change is possible, and our strength is our adaptability."
On behalf of HAS green academy and HAK: congratulations, Juan!
