About

Questionmark is an independent think tank. Our mission is to make the food environment support a healthy, sustainable, fair and animal-friendly food system.

We conduct pioneering, data-driven and action-oriented research.

We build a movement within and around the demand side of the food system, including supermarkets, food producers, governments, scientists and civil society.

We provide advice - for policy development and business conduct. Our work is mostly unsolicited. 

We target, connect and partner with industries, governments, civil society, media and scientists across European countries. Always in a constructive way.

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Theory of Change drawing

Our way of working

We develop and disseminate solutions for a future proof food system and build movements to help accelerate and implement the change

From farm to fork and from personal health to planetary ecosystems, from human rights to animal welfare. 

We help decision makers in and around the European food sector understand the urgent challenges the food system faces and develop and disseminate new solutions. 

We follow the ‘system approach’, which means we consider all the elements in the food system and how they influence each other. 

We identify and create the conditions for tipping points for change among powerholders through:

  1. Pioneering data driven research
  2. Building movements by
  3. Organising collaborations between civil society organisations, supermarkets, governments
  4. Facilitating and driving constructive dialogue 
  5. Correcting misleading narratives

With our programmes we 

  • Improve transparency by uncovering the workings of the food system
  • Stimulate a race to the top by pointing out both the accelerators and late-adopters of change
  • Leverage power, by focusing on well organised and therefore influential actors in the system
  • Transform consumption patterns and production methods throughout Europe 

Levers for change

Our programmes focus on leveraging the power of retail and advertising. They have great potential to stimulate healthy, sustainable, just and animal friendly production and consumption of food.

Retail

In Europe, 70% of the food we buy comes from supermarkets. At the same time only a handful of supermarkets per country are situated between food producers and consumers. This makes supermarkets a powerful lever to transform eating patterns and food production methods. 

Advertising

Advertising encourages people to consume unhealthy and unsustainable food. But responsible advertising can positively influence consumption norms and contribute to healthy and sustainable consumption.

Our core values

  • Value-driven  
  • Pioneering
  • Scientific
  • Independent  
  • Constructive
20

European supermarkets in our scope

29

European civil society partners

5

Countries

3000+

Newsletter subscribers

Team

Angela Hekman

Data Collection

Charlotte Linnebank

General Director

Deborah Winkel

Senior Researcher

Dore de Jong

Researcher

Gustaaf Haan

Head of Research

Ijfana Hekman

Data Collection

Madhu Srinivasa

Software developer

Puck Simons

Communication Manager

Robert van Veen

Head of Operations

Tim van Kuppeveld

Data Collection

Willem van Engen

Head of Technology

Vacancy

Head of Policy & Collaborations

Supervisory Board

Adrie Papma - Chair

Independent consultant, Wetlands International - board member

Maryse Ducheine - Audit commission

Boardroom consultancy, strategy & positioning

Miriam Offermans - Confidant

Public@stake - Founder

Stephanie de Heer

Marketing & Communications

Sylvia Borren - Honorary member

Governance & Integrity - sr advisor, BRAC International - Supervisory board

Yvan Jansen - Audit Commission

Non-Exec Director and Advisor on Strategy and Transformations

Marije Boomsma

Global director strategy at IDH

Scientific Council

Our scientific council advises us on research methodologies to ensure our research adheres to scientific standards

Dr. ir. Ellen van Kleef

Wageningen University - Marketing & Consumer Behaviour

Dr. Annet Roodenburg

HAS Hogeschool - Nutrition & Health

Prof. dr. ir. Jaap Seidell

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam - Nutrition & Health

Dr. Michelle Westerman-Behaylo

Universiteit Amsterdam - Responsible Business & Sustainability

Retail Council

Our retail council provides us with insights on the functioning of the retail industry

MSc. Constant Berkhout

Retail Consultant & Auteur

MSc. Bart Fischer

Strategy, Innovation, Digital innovation

MSc. Nathalie van Iterson

Interimmanager retail, Partner Blijplantje, WfK - Raad van Advies

BEd. Eva Rutten

NHL Stenden - Docent Retailmanagement, Retail coach & trainer

Profielfoto Tamara Zonneveld
MSc. Tamara Zonneveld

E-business consultant

Governance and financials

Our core activity consists of independent projects. These are funded by donations from philanthropic funds and civil society partners. Names of funders can be found with the description of each individual project.

On occasion, when it truly aligns with our mission, we deliver data and research services on commission.

Accountability for our governance and finances can be found in our annual reports

We have an integrity policy in order to avoid conflicts of interest and adverse incentives.

Annual reports

Funding

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