Get into the muddy boots of a Dutch dairy farmer

With the financial support of the Circular Food Systems Network, Wageningen University and Research had some starting capital to develop the serious game ‘Dairy Decisions’. In this serious game, participants step into the boots of a Dutch Dairy farmer and experience the (im)possibilities of incentive systems. Participants are assigned a unique dairy farm profile, reflecting real-world variation in biophysical characteristics, herd size, land availability and production systems (e.g., pasture-based or organic).  

Participants performance isn’t just for bragging rights. Regional and national governments, as well as dairy processors, are watching. They allocate rewards or incentives  — subsidies, bonuses, and contracts — based on your sustainability practices and outcomes. In this game participants experience how these rewards, based on Key Performance Indicators, work in practice and how they may influence farming practices and decision making in the Dutch dairy sector.  

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the trade-offs and synergies involved in sustainable dairy farm management

• Explore the design and effects of incentive structures (e.g., subsidies, processor premiums, environmental levies)

• Analyze the role of governance (regional/national) and private actors (e.g., dairy cooperatives) in shaping on-farm behavior

• Develop systems thinking in agri-food transitions under climate, biodiversity, and market pressures  

Who is this game for?
Ideal for agricultural students, policymakers, sustainability consultants, and anyone interested in food systems, environmental policy, or rural economics. This role-playing game blends real-world data and fictional farm profiles to spark critical thinking, negotiation, and long-term planning. Besides learning, as researchers facilitating the game learn about the systems by participants experiencing the systems and we hope to see the different research questions related to incentive systems and indicators that still have to be studied.  

This game has already been facilitated for policy makers and researchers and in the coming year more sessions are planned. Among others with (international) students and (international) researchers from different scientific fields.  

Want to know more about the game or you want to host this game?

Please contact Evelien de Olde or Rianne van Zandbrink: evelien.deolde@wur.nl, rianne.vanzandbrink@wur.nl