Sterre won an award for her research on how CO₂ is changing our food
Thesis prize
Sterre ter Haar has won the Rachel Carson Graduation Prize for her thesis on how rising levels of CO₂ affect the nutrient content of plants. For the Industrial Ecology student, the award is a crowning achievement after a difficult period of recovering from long COVID.
According to the jury, Sterre ter Haar’s work was most closely aligned with the spirit of Rachel Carson. ‘Sterre ter Haar’s thesis stood out thanks to its original perspective and its well-argued call to make food and nutrition more central in climate discussions. The combination of a fresh topic, strong interdisciplinary approach, and policy-relevant recommendations made her work the most distinctive,’ the jury report said.
The prize is awarded each year by VVM, the Dutch network of environmental professionals. Its goal is to shine a spotlight on the best bachelor’s and master’s theses addressing urgent environmental and societal issues.
Who is Rachel Carson?
Rachel Carson was the author of the book Silent Spring. Published around fifty years ago, it sparked widespread public awareness of environmental issues across the globe. The title refers to a spring in which birds no longer sing, wiped out by the use of pesticides. This year marks the 22nd time the Rachel Carson Graduation Prize has been awarded.
Ter Haar had to pitch her thesis, present it and answer questions from the jury. When she found out she had won, she could barely believe it. ‘I got emotional, because it means a lot to me. Of course, the prize is an amazing opportunity to share new research in the Netherlands, but personally it also means I’ve fully recovered. I started working on my thesis at the beginning of the pandemic, but I became seriously ill and developed long COVID. I could barely get out of bed and couldn’t read anymore. It took me a few years to recover.’
'This project was good for my energy and my recovery'
Understandably, she fell behind in her studies, but she still managed to choose a innovative topic for her thesis. ‘I asked Laura Scherer if she’d be my supervisor, along with Peter van Bodegom. I felt so honoured and grateful to work with them. Because I had very little energy, we initially worked together online. My enthusiasm for the topic kept growing, and so did my energy. It became a positive feedback loop. This project not only helped me to graduate but it also played a key role in my recovery. Winning the prize is the ultimate reward.’
‘More calories, less nutritious and more toxic’
In her thesis, Ter Haar explores how rising CO₂ levels directly affect the nutritional quality of plants, and what this means for global food systems. The findings suggest plants may become more calorie-dense but less nutritious – and potentially more toxic. ‘We then applied these results to a global food supply model, which showed the impact could significantly worsen levels of undernutrition worldwide.’
Ter Haar has turned her findings into two scientific papers, the first of which is currently under peer review. She’s also working on her PhD at CML, focusing on ‘Rapid Food Transitions.’ ‘But first, I’m going to enjoy this award.’