Food4You’s aim is to introduce both the general public and professionals to the world of food research. This is done through activities such as the public day in Wageningen town centre and a food professional day.
The festival has been having trouble finding funding for some time. In 2012 the festival was cut from 15 days to 5 after a municipal grant was withdrawn. One year later the main sponsor, health insurer VGZ, pulled out. Since then ‘there has not been much enthusiasm for funding us in the business world,’ says Raoul Bino, Food4You board member and director of the Agrotechnology and Food Sciences group (AFSG). For the time being he is focusing on collaboration with the new World Food Center (WFC) in Ede. It is not clear, however, whether the WFC itself can find enough companies to participate.
Bino thinks there will be clarity on the WFC by the end of 2014. Whatever the upshot, Bino hopes to continue organizing public activities under the Food4You flag. At any rate, one component of the festival – the food professional day – seems to have been salvaged. It took place in March, run by the RijnIJssel catering school, and was sold out. It will be followed next year with a day on the theme of fish and shellfish. The WUR institute Imares will collaborate on the event.