The growing shortage of food technologists is a thread for the food sector. The sector is unknown among young people. At academic level the supply and demand of food experts seems balanced, however at BSc and middle vocational education there are large shortages. The team Human Capital Roadmap Food & Nutrition speaks of a shortage of 80 to 120 food experts at BSc level and 400 to 450 at middle vocational education level. On 5 February 2007 a symposium took place ‘Human Capital as competitive factor in the agrifood’ they also announced a bright spot: the food industry does not have a bad image.

The Human Capital Roadmap describes three main activities to decrease the shortage on the labour market. The first action is to increase the knowledge of the society of the food sector. Secondly the team wants to improve the appeal of working in the food sector. Finally the Roadmap pleads to improve the regional collaborations between education, industry and knowledge institutions.

Source: MKB net