Julien Vastenaekels is a doctoral student in environmental sciences at the Université libre de Bruxelles and is pursuing his research in the field of ecological economics. He studies the mechanisms through which capitalism, conceptualised as a system of power, hinders the emergence of transformative ecological and social alternatives, with a particular focus on the food system. He also holds an engineering degree (UCLouvain) and an MSc in Environmental Strategy (University of Surrey). Since 2020, Julien is a member of the coordinating group of the Post-Growth Economics Network. He is also an Etopia Research Associate and a member of Rethinking Economics Belgium.