In a well-managed composting process, minerals are preserved while pathogens are destroyed. As part of the project, three types of compost piles are set up and monitored. By comparing changes in nitrogen and phosphate levels across the three different compost types, insights are gained into which composting method is most susceptible to losses and to what extent these losses may occur. Practor Circular Agriculture Ruud Hendriks, lecturer in Sustainable Soil Management Gera van Os, entrepreneurs from GAOS Swifterbant and Warmonderhof Dronten working together with students and teachers from Aeres MBO Dronten. Project results are shared with the agricultural sector.

In a welfare orientated livestock industry, the welfare of the animals is the priority. The expression of natural behaviour is essential. The former agricultural minister is in favour of the introduction of a transport ban for calves younger than 28 days. The calves remain longer on the original farms and are stronger in transit. The practice of housing calves individually in individual pens has monitoring benefits but limits social behaviour. Changing to group housing earlier requires more knowledge and a different management system. VET students will collect perspectives of dairy farmers and calf rearers around this new situation.

This research project is a result of a partnership between two further and higher vocational educational colleges, two zoos and a city farm. The research entails observing and describing the effects of animal- student interactions on the attitude and behaviour of animal care students during practical lessons and internships. The expectation is that animal-student interactions lead to a change in the attitude and behaviour of students in terms of their approach to animal welfare in the future.

The Poultry Innovation Lab (PIL) is conducting research into the consequences of different pre-slaughter handling and collecting procedures on poultry welfare. Film footage and sound recordings during collection and analysis of the slaughter results will provide insight into the consequences of the various collecting procedures which will lead to improvements in the process. This research ultimately aims to improve poultry welfare during the pre-slaughter handling process.

Circular agriculture is a way of agriculture in which a farm(ingsystem) works with as few external inputs as possible. The inputs used are supposed to come from the region where the products are sold. In this project, 2 BD farms do research together with students biodynamic agriculture and the Practor Circular Agriculture to see where they stand and how to further close the circle for nitrogen and phosphorus.