Meet the Advisory Board: Sarah Velten

The PLUS Change Project recently welcomed two external advisory board members, Sarah Velten of adelphi and Marjan van Herwijnen of the ESPON Programme. They will provide guidance throughout the project, offering their knowledge and expertise on topics related to sustainable land use. In this post, we introduce Sarah Velten, an environmental scientist working in the fields of biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.

Tell us about yourself!

I am an environmental scientist by training, with majors in environmental chemistry and sustainability communication. In my PhD in social and political sciences I focused on sustainable agriculture and stakeholder collaboration. I now work at the sustainability think tank/policy consultancy adelphi, located in Germany. Here, I’m leading a project on ways to improve agricultural policy for better biodiversity outcomes.

How does your work correspond with PLUS Change?

There are many overlaps in the issues that PLUS Change addresses and that I focus on in my work: biodiversity, governance, land use, transdisciplinarity. I also know quite well some of the methods that are going to be used in the project, stemming from my former collaboration with some of the consortium members. Thus, I hope I’ll be able to contribute to the project a critical perspective regarding the topics and approaches as well as synergies with the project(s) I am and will be involved in.

Why were you interested in working with this project?

I was part of the project consortium during the first stage of the application process (I could not continue due to a change of positions). So, I had first hand insights into the concept and development of the project, which I think is very well designed and structured and therefore very promising. Thus, I am happy that I can still contribute through my role in the advisory board and I am very interested to accompany the progress of PLUS Change and get to know the insights it will generate.

What are you looking forward to in the coming years?

I am looking forward to seeing this great project evolve, to the insights it is going to generate, and to everything that can be learned through the project. I am also looking very much forward to meeting old and new friends and colleagues.

Banner Photo Credit: Marjan van Herwijnen