Peter Schellekens selected for Food100 2026 for work that connects the food chain
When growers, technology partners and processors connect earlier, the chain can manage quality, reduce waste and plan yields more effectively. That practical value is at the heart of Peter Schellekens’ place on the Food100 2026 list. Peter is project manager Agriculture, Water & Food. For the Handsfree Agrifood ecosystem and the partners involved, it is also a welcome sign that this work is being recognised beyond the project. Van Boomgaard Tot Bord shows how technology, cultivation and processing can come together earlier in the chain. In the project, parties work together on more uniform orchards, higher quality with less food waste and more predictable yields, so the chain can plan more effectively.
Food100 recognition brings chain innovation into a wider conversation
Every year, one hundred people who contribute to change in the food system are given a place on the Food100 list. In 2026, this will happen for the tenth time, on the initiative of AgriFood Capital, Food Hub, Food Inspiration and Slow Food Youth Network. Peter will receive his Food100 award on 7 December 2026 in Den Bosch, during a day that brings together food changemakers from the past ten years and also announces the six Food Heroes of 2026.
Van Boomgaard Tot Bord shows what earlier collaboration can change
Peter used Van Boomgaard Tot Bord in his application as a concrete example of what he achieved over the past year. The project shows how chain players can work together earlier on more uniform orchards, less food waste and a healthy economic perspective for all parties involved. Based on that story, he was selected for the Food100 list.
Within NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood, this is a clear example of how the ecosystem helps improve practice. Technology gains more meaning when growers, technology partners and processors can make decisions together at an earlier stage. What happens in the orchard increasingly determines what is possible further along the chain. Data, robotics, sensors, AI and precision technology help improve planning, make quality more predictable and support practical decisions earlier in the chain.
"For me, this selection is above all a recognition of what we are working on together. We are showing that technology, data and chain collaboration are also a credible route towards a future-ready food system."
- Peter Schellekens, project manager Agriculture, Water & Food -
Technology gains value when it supports practical choices
The Food100 selection shows that the conversation about food change is becoming broader. Green, regenerative and locally organised initiatives remain important. At the same time, technology can help chain partners make better decisions, plan more effectively, reduce waste and keep more value in the chain.
For the Handsfree Agrifood ecosystem, that is exactly the relevant connection. Within NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood, parties bring technology, knowledge and practice together to take innovations beyond individual initiatives. Peter’s selection shows that technology, data and chain collaboration now have a clearer place in the wider conversation about food change.