WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao-born researcher Amber van Veghel has earned her PhD after completing a groundbreaking study on the environmental impact of food imports in the Dutch Caribbean, focusing on the carbon footprint linked to food consumption on the ABC islands.
Van Veghel officially obtained her doctorate on April 21 through a joint PhD program between the University of Aruba and KU Leuven in Belgium.
Her multidisciplinary research examined a topic that directly affects everyday life on the islands: food.
The study explored both the environmental impact of imported food and provided the first systematic overview of academic research on food systems in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
The research is particularly relevant as food consumption is estimated to account for up to one-third of global carbon dioxide emissions, making it a major contributor to climate change.
Van Veghel analyzed the full supply chain, from production to final arrival on the islands, and conducted a detailed calculation of carbon emissions generated by air-freighted food transported on passenger flights from the Netherlands to Aruba.
According to Van Veghel, the broader findings show that consumers can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their diets by avoiding air-freighted products, reducing meat and dairy consumption—especially beef—and limiting products linked to deforestation.
This includes certain chocolate products and beef imported from South America.
She also points to practical alternatives, such as choosing chicken more often instead of beef or shifting toward more plant-based diets.
“Because the islands are so heavily dependent on imports, food choices made by both residents and visitors can make a significant difference,” Van Veghel said.
Beyond emissions analysis, her research also mapped the growing body of food-related studies across the ABC islands.
Using data from nine local and international databases, she found that research activity in this field has expanded significantly over the past decade.
Topics range from eating habits and rainwater harvesting for agriculture to the challenges and opportunities for increasing local food production.
Van Veghel began her PhD trajectory in 2020 through KU Leuven in partnership with the University of Aruba as part of the SISSTEM program.
She is the second island-based student to complete a doctorate under the program.
Her research was supervised by Professor Annemie Geeraerd Ameryckx, with co-supervision from Professor Salys Sultan and Dr. Renske Pin.
Between 2020 and 2024, Van Veghel lived and worked in Aruba, where she also taught.
She has since returned to Curaçao, where she continues her work in food sustainability through her own research and consultancy practice, TCR.
Her dissertation defense concluded with a standing ovation.
Following the ceremony, a copy of her dissertation was formally presented to the Cabinet of the Governor of Aruba.
The dissertation is available free of charge in digital format and can be borrowed through the libraries of the University of Aruba and the Biblioteca Nacional Aruba.
It is expected to become available soon in Bonaire and Curaçao as well.
Van Veghel will present her findings on May 11 at the University of Curaçao and again on June 17 during the Dutch Caribbean Research Week at the University of Aruba.