I am an independent scientist (PhD, MSC) with background in water technology, biotechnology and environmental sciences. My current research interests are involving (but certainly not limited to!): energy flows in society and farming systems, regenerative farming, fixing carbon in soils and renewable energy systems. I work at my own company ‘Galama Sustainable Solutions’ and am especially active in the field of energy and sustainability. All process, life and matter contain (are) energy and exchange energy with their surroundings. Live cycle energy (or exergy) analysis is therefore in my opinion key in identifying (un)sustainable activities.

Since 2020 I have become a guest researcher at the University of Groningen and I am working with Theunis in the field of sustainable agriculture. I was raised on a farm in south-west Fryslân and met Theunis many years back when the Godwit and Ruffs project started in this area. But I also know Theunis from the Fierljeppen, a Frisian sport, we both enjoy during the summer months. Theunis as a spectator myself as a jumper (see photo).

Questions I am typically interested in are how can farmers become energy consumers again? How can we produce nutrient and mineral dense foods? How can we market foods based on content not bulk weight? How can we make low-input farming become mainstream farming? Can we save, for instance godwits, from extinction by lowering the amount of energy we extract from our ecological system? Or even better can we, through good farming practices, enhance the amount of energy stored in soils and out ecological system in such way that we can extract more energy, while leaving more energy?

Please find more information on my company website or my Google Scholar or LinkedIn.