A little while back Microhealth consortium member Hilde Herrema spoke at the Nationale Bodemtop (National Soil Summit) 2026 by the Dutch ministry of agriculture, fishery, food security and nature. In her talk she highlighted the similarities between soil and human gut microbiomes.

"Microbes talk to plant roots just like they talk to our gut cells. pH, temperature, antibiotics are factors which matter in both. What we eat determines the microbes we host, which is important for many bodily functions. The same holds true for soil: what we put into it defines its health! The analogy isn’t new, but now, with advanced tech, we can finally study these connections. From soil, to crops, to humans. That’s exactly what we’re doing in Amsterdam with the Microhealth project."

The event was attended by a lot farmers and growers. The exact people that will hopefully soon benefit from our research by applying it in practice to cultivate more biodiverse soils, healthier crops and thereby healthier humans. Hilde's talk was met with healthy criticism as many farmers asked thought-provoking questions. It was a moment which made us realize to stay more in touch with the people who will at some point apply our research. We will keep looking out for events like these to keep testing our research with the practical needs of farmers.