Ruud Zanders is Founding Partner of Kipster. Enterpreneur, starter and creator are a few terms that describe Ruud. He grew up on a Poultry Farm and studied economics at Wageningen University. He had his own largescale tah A personal crisis in 2007 led him to change his thinking. Since 2008, he has focussed on sustainable, relatively small scale, ecological and higher welfare animal production. His latest project, together with 3 partners, is Kipster: a revolutionary poultry farm that will produce higher welfare eggs and meat. There will be a minimal pressure on the environment. Kipster aims to be an example for the role of animals in a worldwide, sustainable food system.
In 2019, Ruud is one of the co-founders of the Caring Farmers Foundation. Caring Farmers is for all farmers who are taking steps towards nature-inclusive circular agriculture. We strive for an agriculture that operates on the smallest possible scale, within the boundaries of nature and with respect for animals and people. Caring Farmers connects farmers with sister organization Caring Vets, Caring Doctors, like-minded citizens, scientists and other caring partners. Together they form the Caring Movement. Not waiting for policies, but just getting started together, is what typifies Caring Farmers.
Personally, Ruud dreams of the time when we no longer use animals at all in our food system. Until then, we all have an obligation to respect the animal as much as possible and to cause as little suffering as possible. Whether our food system can ever do without livestock the future will tell. But Ruud is convinced that we should keep as few livestock as possible, no more than strictly necessary, for our food system