How does the feeling of being ‘at home’ relate to sustainability? This question caught my attention on the agenda for the Pathways to Sustainability 2024 Conference. Initially, I had no idea. However, after spending an entire day at the event organized by University of Utrecht and surrounded by brilliant minds—from geoscientists to climate poets and law experts—I learned that building a community is a critical component of sustainability.
A month after moving to Utrecht, The Netherlands, I had the privilege of listening to and learning from a diverse group of multidisciplinary experts, both from the university and beyond. Entering the TivoliVredenburg was impressive; the building’s vastness and intricate staircases made it the perfect venue for an event filled with interesting presentations. These ranged from experts discussing how our food systems define what we consider home, to panels offering ideas on making our cities more connected and responsive not only to human needs but also to those of nature and animals. The event also featured breakout sessions, where we explored concepts like social entrepreneurship. For example, an entrepreneur created a business in Ghana which focused on producing spirulina to create local jobs, reduce water and energy use, and provide nourishment to communities.
In this article, I aim to share some insights and lessons from today’s conference. Let’s dive in.
Link to the conference can be found here.
Challenges can be framed in numerous ways, and one key takeaway from the conference was the versatility in presenting research. Presentations went from photography projects capturing emotions to factual studies based on meticulous observation. One highlight was the talk by Senior Lecturer Dr. Emanuele Fantini from the Delft Institute for Water Education. He discussed fostering collaboration among Nile basin countries, which support the lives of over 290 million people. How do you address the construction of a dam by upstream countries that will have inevitable environmental, social, and economic impacts on downstream riparian nations? By creating a shared vision, transcending national boundaries, and transforming communication and storytelling methods. Emphasizing ‘we are in this together’ and focusing on similarities rather than differences can foster dialogue. That was one of my key takeaways from the session.
Another keynote speaker, Carolyn Steel, shared some fascinating ideas that really caught my attention. Even with my five years in the agribusiness sector, I hadn’t considered her perspective on how deeply food is integrated into our systems, influencing everything from city design to broader infrastructure. She has a TED Talk and a book called “Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives,” which I’ve already added to my reading list. Her presentation inspired me to explore how food is delivered daily to Mexico City, home to 23 million people—a topic I hadn’t thought about before. Thank you, Carolyn, for the inspiration!
The diverse activities at the conference were also a highlight. We attended two expert panel sessions, each featuring three members from varied backgrounds, discussing how to make our cities more livable and how we envision their future. Another engaging conversation focused on collaborating with stakeholders who have fundamentally different interests. For example, we heard from the manager of Heuvelrug National Park, who highlighted the conflicting priorities between municipal governments, farmers, and the independent agency overseeing forest health. Municipal governments often prioritize short-term goals, while farmers aim to pass their land to future generations and ensure family financial support. In contrast, the agency ensures good agroforestry practices, as excess nitrogen and fertilizers can damage forests, despite being vital for food supply chains.
These stakeholder groups—farmers, forest managers, and municipal governments—have distinct perspectives and concerns. So, how do we unite them? Active listening is part of the solution. We need to understand each stakeholder’s real needs and address them to find the highest common good. This is challenging and time-consuming, but creating independent parties to moderate discussions and ensure all interests are considered can accelerate progress.
Accountability and flexibility are equally important. In the Netherlands, the tension between societal demands for sustainable practices and the necessity to produce food creates challenges for farmers. One suggested solution is to establish knowledge-based forums to actively discuss differences and bridge knowledge gaps. When our knowledge is limited, so are our choices. But when we share information openly and build trust, we unlock the potential for deeper and more effective understanding.
Sustainability is about building a community, and it involves both top-down and bottom-up approaches. We recently saw three nominee projects for the Pathways of Sustainability Awards, where researchers and students made a real impact. I was truly impressed by them all. One project used satellite imagery to map environmental degradation in war-torn areas. This is crucial in understanding how places become uninhabitable due to war and violence, which is highly relevant to my home country, Mexico. Another project was incredibly innovative, using 3D printers to create biodegradable homes for mussels. This initiative fosters a symbiotic effect in the environment by attracting new species in coastal areas of the Netherlands, aiding ocean and sea biodiversity and recovery. The winning project, led by Annisa Triyanti from a collaborative Dutch-Indonesian university and volunteers, combined local knowledge with research to conserve critical areas in the remote Banggai Archipelago. I believe the audience was moved by this bottom-up approach, which involved truly listening to the community’s needs. It reminded me that sometimes we think we know what others need, but it’s only through understanding them that we can genuinely help. That’s a lesson I learned today.
What color comes to mind when you think about ‘sustainability’? Probably green. Our minds work with associations; we hear a word or see something, and instantly link it to what we know. These associations are powerful because they help us process information quickly. However, they also lead us to take things for granted. At a conference, a keynote speaker mentioned, “we need to unlearn and relearn.” These words resonated with me. Being from both Europe and Mexico, I’ve had to unlearn and relearn cultural and societal behaviors to fit each context. Each perspective is unique: in The Netherlands, rationality and logic prevail, while in Mexico, I rely more on intuition and creativity for solving daily problems.
How can we apply these “brain” hemispheres to sustainability? By integrating multiple disciplines and combining local knowledge with academic research. There’s no single right path; it’s about embracing complexity and uncertainty to discover new paradigms and shifts.
During breakout sessions, a student discussed selflessness. We pursue sustainability because we care about something greater than ourselves and want to extend this change to our environment. We’re beginning to challenge the economic assumption of self-interest and embrace the duality of human empathy and self-interest. Accepting our limited understanding fosters a humble mindset essential for constant improvement in today’s world.
One major takeaway shared by Dr. Boeve-de Pauw, who worked in research and ecoschools, is the need to move from “about” and “for” mindset to the “with” or “together” approach. To illustrate this concept, I would like to share about one of my hobbies. I began my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu journey in Mexico City, where my sensei taught us a life-changing concept called “Jita Kyoei”, which could be roughly translated to “Creating our common wellbeing by helping each other”. To make a difference, we must speak as equals across countries, cultures, and communities, and choose to move forward together. It’s essential to remember that we don’t visit places to show others how to do things “better”. Instead, we share our experiences with a humble heart and mind, approaching others from a position of equality and without judgment.
