Dr. Eng. Ron Methorst

Position: Professor
Professorship: Environment Inclusive Entrepreneurship
Email: r.methorst@aeres.nl
Telephone number: +31 63 62 26 637
Social media: LinkedIn, X

Via his Animal Production Systems studies, Ron Methorst came to Wageningen UR, to work as a consultant in fertiliser and environmental permits, and later on, to organic poultry farmers. In 2007, after spending a year in Bosnia, he went to Aeres University of Applied Sciences in Dronten. His doctoral research there (2011 – 2016) focused on the interaction between agricultural businesses and their environment. The context of the entrepreneur is becoming more complex, and the path on which agriculture in the Netherlands grew, now creates new challenges. The space in which agricultural entrepreneurs operate is changing and entrepreneurs deal with this in different ways. It is important, in terms of education and the field of practice, to gain a better understanding of how entrepreneurs view this space and determine their strategies.

As the grandson of a farmer, Ron is interested in farm development and the different ways in which farmers deal with this. He has a solid background in the entire spectrum of cattle farming as a business development adviser to farmers in every sector. He focuses on the connection between farms and their environment, both physically and socially. Physically speaking, in nature and the landscape, and socially speaking, with society. In close proximity of neighbours as well as the broader societal environment. Farmers can provide enormous value to their environment in the sense of seeing and having opportunities. The question for farmers is: Do you see opportunities and are you getting opportunities? The professorship helps to create a future where farmers can provide extra value. The foundation is and will be good, healthy and affordable food. From this foundation, many ways are found of actually providing this extra value in their environment. This is what Ron calls ‘Building #Farmingdiversity.