Dr. rer. nat. Barbara J. Grabkowsky is Director of the “Center for Sustainability Transformation in Agrifood Systems” at the University of Vechta, Germany. She holds a master degree in Environmental Sciences and a doctoral degree in Biosecurity and Risk Assessment in livestock production systems.
Her profile combines academic expertise with several years of international leadership experience in the value chain for animal-based food, where she was responsible for sustainability, food safety, and cross-sector collaboration. This dual perspective enables her to connect scientific and entrepreneurial thinking — a key asset for advancing sustainability transformations.
Dr. Grabkowsky follows a systemic and transdisciplinary approach, integrating ecological, political, social, and economic dimensions. Her work focuses on the transformation of intensive agricultural regions, resilient agrifood systems, and educational formats that support change management and transformative learning. A central aim of her work is to foster “out-of-the-box-thinking” for developing holistic, practicable solutions for multidimensional challenges.
She has contributed to expert groups at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). She is also active in national boards and advisory bodies with a focus on water protection, nature conservation, and sustainability education — and contributes to the discourse on the future of agriculture and food systems as a lecturer, speaker, and author.
Prof. Dr. med. vet. Thomas Blaha is Professor Emeritus at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Germany, where he held the Chair of Epidemiology at the Field Station in Bakum. Before that, he served as a university professor at the University of Minnesota (USA). Since 2007, he has been Chairman of the Veterinary Association for Animal Protection (TVT) and is deeply committed to advancing animal welfare and health in national and international contexts. Prof. Blaha is the author and editor of more than 250 scientific publications and three books on animal health and welfare.
He is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Public Health (ECVPH) as well as a founding member and Diplomate of the European College of Porcine Health Management (ECPHM). In addition, he has been an active member of the Animal Welfare Working Group (AWWG) of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) for five years, and he served on several ad-hoc working groups of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma. He is also a former President of the International Society of Animal Hygiene.
Prof. Blaha’s long-standing international experience, his extensive professional network, and his profound expertise make him a pioneering voice in the field. His holistic thinking has significantly influenced how sustainable and ethically responsible livestock systems can be designed in light of societal transformation processes. He continues to serve as a thought leader in developing future-proof approaches to animal husbandry that align with broader sustainability goals.
