Interview of Britt de Klerk - “Believe in Yourself and Follow Your Own Path”

Britt lives in a green oasis in Stroe, together with her mother. Anyone passing through the gate into the spacious garden is immediately greeted by her five dogs, in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Her love for animals comes from her grandmother, Britt explains cheerfully. “She adored animals and passed that on to my mother.” As she speaks, one of her dogs lies on the chair beside her, while another contentedly naps under the table. In the meadow behind the two houses – Britt lives in one, her mother in the other – her horses graze.

Animals were also central to Britt’s childhood. At fourteen, her family moved from Hilversum to Terschuur, where they had space for ten dogs, “a lot” of cats, horses, goats, sheep, and chickens. The horses, in particular, captured her imagination. “I fell in love with the miniature horses. I loved their different colors and found it fascinating to see which colors resulted from breeding different animals.” Genetics already intrigued her most during biology lessons, and with the miniature horses she could apply theory in practice. “At fifteen, I started breeding them to get foals with specific colors. Before long, we had around twenty, and my hobby grew into a small business.”

At the time, Britt didn’t realize she could turn genetics into a career, so after secondary school she applied to study veterinary medicine. “I wasn’t admitted, and decided to study Animal Sciences in Wageningen instead. That’s where I discovered there was a master’s program in genetics, which I pursued after my bachelor’s.” Today, Britt works as a geneticist at Hendrix Genetics in Boxmeer. The company develops breeding programs for livestock and aquaculture, including chickens, pigs, shrimp, and salmon.

“What we do is largely invisible, but it can have a major impact. Together with my colleagues, I work on improving breeding lines in a sustainable way. That means we also select for animal welfare and environmental impact. For example, we aim to make animals more resistant to certain diseases by studying their immune systems and selecting accordingly.”

“At birthday parties, it can still be difficult to explain exactly what I do. People often associate genetics in livestock with things like ‘factory-farmed chickens’. But our goal is not only to improve productivity. We also focus on other aspects. We don’t modify genes artificially; instead, we select the right ‘father and mother’ to improve the next generation.”

“It varies a lot. At the moment, I mainly focus on improving shrimp, salmon, and trout. Since aquaculture is relatively new compared to livestock farming, there is still a lot of progress to be made, for example in disease prevention. The sector is spread across the globe, which means I travel regularly for work. Recently, I spent two weeks visiting a salmon farm in Chile, and soon I’ll be travelling to Vietnam to visit shrimp breeders. It’s rewarding to see in practice what our work means for farmers and animal welfare.”

“My career has always been important to me. It gives me a lot of energy. But I’m just as happy being home in Stroe, as my animals help me relax. I feel fortunate to live in this house, which I was able to buy together with my mother. When I travel, she takes loving care of the animals.”

“All that travelling has taught me that I’m comfortable being on my own. I also have great friends and a strong bond with my family, so a romantic relationship really needed to add something. I was single for more than ten years before meeting someone last year. Some people found that strange. I would get questions like, ‘Why don’t you have a boyfriend?’ or ‘Don’t you want children?’ I’ve always followed my own path and paid little attention to expectations. I never had a strong desire to have children, and I’m happy with my life as it is now. I know it’s not the same, but for me, my animals are my children.”

“‘Life motto’ is a big phrase, but ‘work hard, play hard’ definitely applies to me. I work hard to be able to have and maintain all of this” (she gestures around her house, garden, and pasture). “It’s my dream to live like this, surrounded by my animals, and at the same time contribute to a more sustainable food industry.”

“That in 2012 I took part in The Bachelor (a TV program where a single man chooses from a group of women). Over a glass of wine with friends, I had actually signed up for The Bachelorette, but I wasn’t selected. Later, I got a call asking if I wanted to join The Bachelor instead. I thought: why not? Together with the other women, I spent three weeks in Suriname trying to win the heart of Rutger. Back then, the bachelors were still unknown participants. It didn’t work out, but it was a great experience, and I even made lasting friendships.”

“Trust yourself and follow your own path. If you really want something, you don’t have to wait for perfect circumstances. They’ll never be perfect, you just have to go for it and believe that you can do it.”

“Very positively. I would love to one day use my knowledge in conservation genetics – helping to preserve endangered species. That has always interested me. But for now, I’m very happy with where I am. As long as I can combine my work with my animals, I’m content.”

• Dreamer or doer? Doer.
• Cozy chaos or structured organization? Cozy chaos.
• Reading a book or streaming a series? Streaming a series.
• Busy schedule or spontaneous plans? Always room for spontaneous plans in a busy schedule.
• Cooking at home or eating out? Cooking at home.
• Beach at Zeumeren or Schaffelaarsebos? Schaffelaarsebos.

Article from June 13, 2026, by Lieke van der Made, translated into English and retrieved with permission from Barneveldse Krant.