A conversation with Kadir van Lohuizen, Dutch multimedia photojournalist, filmmaker, and a co-founder of NOOR, while walking his exhibition Food for Thought at Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam. We talk about the power of photos and videos, how disconnected we are from nature and how our current food system works. We talk while walking though photos of large dairy facilities in Mongolia, farms in Saudi Arabia, beef operations in the US and onions farms of the Netherlands and vegetables and fruits plantations in Kenya, with produce cut in pieces and packaged ready to fly overnight to Amsterdam, London, etc.
A deep dive and a reality check of the current food and agriculture system and the power of visual storytelling.
LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION ON:
WHAT DREW KADIR TO EXPLORE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
Kadir decided to focus on the food system, starting from the curiosity about the climate and environment.
”It’s kind of an open door, because I think we assume that we know where food is coming from, and it basically started from curiosity, because, over the last 10-15 years, my projects are more long-term, are much larger, and are connected to what’s happening with the climate and our environment. So, working on a previous project where I was looking at the consequences of the rising sea level, I noticed that it’s obviously happening today. It’s not something that will happen in one or two generations. So many coastal regions are affected by this. Many farmers are therefore affected by it, which means that more frequent flooding, the land becomes saline, and people can’t grow their crops anymore, and that’s already enough reason for people to leave.” Kadir van Lohuizen
”I started to realize that food security is not a given anymore. I worked on a big project about waste management where I noticed… with my own eyes, how much food we throw away every day. It’s still 1/3 of our food globally, which is thrown away.” Kadir van Lohuizen
HOW KADIR GOT INTO SOME OF THE FACILITIES
Kadir discusses the distrust between the food industry and the media, which made gaining access to facilities more difficult.
”It was the main issue. COVID didn’t help. So, many companies could easily say no outsiders permitted. But moreover, I mean, it was polarising in the Netherlands as well. There were the farmer protests. They grew by the day; they were blocking the highways. So, there was a lot of hostility. The food industry and the media don’t have the best relationship, I would say. So, there was a lot of distrust that people thought that I was looking for scandals.” Kadir van Lohuizen
”In the Netherlands it requires building a network where people could recommend me to the management of companies or farms. It meant often going to set up a meeting, going there without cameras, without gear, trying to explain what I was doing. Initially, nobody said yes. Literally, no one, so I had to be very persuasive. And then slowly, I could show the list of others that allowed me in, and then it started to become easier. But, yeah, I mean, it’s true. People had to trust me. The thing is that you’re in a very controlled environment, which made it hard as well. So, I was never alone; you’re always guided by someone, and most of the time, you’re guided by someone who’s looking at their watch. If you’re already done so, it’s far from ideal. […] Sometimes I had to shoot; I had, like, 20 minutes and bring back good imagery, which is sometimes challenging, and it’s a one-off.’’ Kadir van Lohuizen
THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
Food for Thought follows the entire industry responsible for global food production, from calf slaughterhouses to vegetable seed producers, from mega-ships carrying soybean to the Amsterdam port to onions from the polder for the Middle East. The emotional response of visitors provides valuable feedback and underlines once again the power of photos and storytelling.
”I’m doing this because I want to make an impact as well. So, if I can stretch and enlarge my audiences, I will find a way. […] You can read it as you wish, right? I mean, there are images and footage in the US of the biggest ranch where I was allowed to visit, which has 250,000 cows. For most people, this is just mind-blowing and shocking and anything you can think of. And some people would say, that’s incredible how efficient this can be…” Kadir van Lohuizen
”I really tried to show it as it is; you will notice that, although I obviously have an opinion, you won’t really find it in the exhibition, because I think people need to judge for themselves. […] In general, I think people, when they leave the exhibition, are a little disturbed.” Kadir van Lohuizen
”The exhibition is called Food for Thoughts. And although it sounds a little bit like a cliché, it perfectly covers it, because it is really food for thought. I’ve been torn between admiration and bewilderment, anything in between. Every time I had to think, what do I think about this?” Kadir van Lohuizen
OTHER POINTS DISCUSSED
Koen and Kadir also talked about:
- The US beef industry and its environmental impact
- The role of migrant workers in the food system
- The future of food production and consumption
LINKS:
LINKED INTERVIEWS:
- Stijn Markusse – Raising €4M in 72 hours to scale boring distribution and storytelling
- Kirsty Saddler, using the power of storytelling and marketing to disrupt the agri food world
- Fireside Chat with John Kempf & Koen van Seijen @ Groundswell ’24
- Cristina Domecq – Building a regenerative movement by connecting 350000 consumers directly with 250 farmers
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The above references an opinion and is for information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a duly licensed professional for investment advice.