Sigrid Wertheim-Heck

Sigrid Wertheim-Heck is an Associate Professor in Global Food System Sustainability at Wageningen University’s Environmental Policy Group and holds a Professorship (Lector) in Food & Healthy Living at Aeres University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. She earned a Master’s in History and Russian/Eurasian Studies from Leiden University, followed by a PhD in Sociology from Wageningen University. Her research focuses on societal transformations in food systems, particularly urbanization’s impact on food provisioning and consumption equity. Key areas include sustainable food consumption, governance, and global-local dynamics.

She leads projects across Asia, Africa, and Europe, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to urban food system challenges. As Principal Investigator at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, she explores metropolitan sustainability. She is also a member of TABLE, a global platform for food system dialogue, and chairs the Urban Green House Challenge advisory committee. Prior to academia, she worked in the private sector for over 20 years, spanning agro-food business development and policy advisory roles for governments in emerging markets.

Her work bridges theory and practice, advocating for citizen-centric approaches to urban food systems. Research highlights include analyzing food safety dynamics in Hanoi, co-creating inclusive food environments, and exploring the interplay between consumption practices and policy. She teaches courses on sustainability transitions, globalization, and food security, contributing to MSc programs in Environmental Policy.