Health begins in the soil, not on the plate: This panel examines how soil quality, nutrient supply, and agricultural practices shape the composition of our food, and what this means for our microbiome and overall well-being.
Nanine Wyma highlights the health significance of a nutrient-dense diet, while Laura Nyström shares current scientific research on food quality. Dan Barber brings the perspective of agriculture and gastronomy, illustrating how flavor and nutrient density can be cultivated together. Laurenz Werner explains why the AVINA Foundation is increasingly shifting its focus from symptoms to the fundamental roots of a healthy food system.
Together, they trace the path from living soil to high-quality food and healthy people, discussing what it takes to turn this vision into reality.
Nanine Wyma
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF PAN INTERNATIOAL
Dr. Nanine Wyma is a medical doctor and Managing Director of PAN International. She studied medicine in South Africa and explored the connections between climate, health and economics in her research. In 2020, she founded the South African chapter of PAN. Since then, she has worked internationally to promote nutrition that supports both human and planetary health. Her research has been published in scientific journals, including The Lancet Planetary Health.
Through her research on fermentation, dietary fiber, and grain diversity, she develops solutions for healthier, more sustainable, and resilient food systems. Her work bridges basic research with practical applications in food production.
Trained chef, nutrition coach, and Theme Lead at the AVINA Foundation. His work links nutrition, soil health, and regenerative agriculture with the core question of how a deeper understanding of nature can drive more sustainable choices.
Chef, Author, Co-founder of Blue Hill at Stone Barns & Founder of Rhizome
Few chefs have reshaped the relationship between agriculture and fine dining as lastingly as Dan Barber. With his two restaurants, Blue Hill in New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, he became a pioneer of a cuisine directly inspired by the field. For decades he has focused on seed diversity, soil fertility, and regenerative agriculture. Blue Hill at Stone Barns regularly ranks among the world's most significant restaurants, and Barber's book The Third Plate is one of the most influential works in contemporary food culture. As an author, speaker, and co-founder of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, he shapes the international discussion about the future of our food system far beyond the kitchen.
