How the Netherlands responds to climate change

What is of interest is how a flood-prone land with little or no natural resources like the Netherlands became the global agricultural, engineering, . and business region it is today.

The world's second largest exporter of agricultural products

More than half of the land in the Netherlands is used for agriculture. Each year the Netherlands produces 4 million cows, 13 million pigs, 104 million chickens and supplies vegetables to much of Western Europe. The country has nearly 24,000 acres of greenhouses. These greenhouses, which use less fertilizer and water, can produce as much as 10 acres of traditional farming. To grow 0.45kg of tomatoes, farms in the Netherlands use just half a gallon of water while the global average is more than 28 gallons.

Dutch vegetable greenhouse. (Photo: Internet).

The Dutch often say that their sole focus is on food production. The main cause stems from the terrible famine that the country experienced during World War II. But preoccupation with food dates back to the 17th century, when the Dutch were at the center of the global spice trade. Currently, 15 of the world's 20 largest agricultural enterprises have major research and development centers in the Netherlands; The world's top 5 agricultural food companies are all headquartered in the Netherlands.

With groundbreaking innovations, the Dutch are famous for their progress in agriculture . The Netherlands is the largest meat exporter in the European Union and in 2020 it exported 8.8 billion euros (about $9 billion) worth of pork, beef and poultry, mainly to Germany. (beef, veal), English (poultry) and Chinese (pork).

In 2023, the Netherlands will export agriculture with a total value of 123.8 billion euros, an increase of 1.6% compared to 2022, earning 50.4 billion euros from agricultural exports (4% higher than 2022). with the year 2022). Of that total, 45.7 billion euros came from agricultural goods produced in the Netherlands and 4.7 billion euros from re-exports of agricultural goods produced elsewhere.

Among Dutch agricultural exports, the top three remained unchanged compared to 2022: milk and eggs; agricultural; and meat. There is virtually no change in the value of dairy and egg exports (€12.0 billion) or fruit and vegetable exports (€11.5 billion) from 2022 to 2023; Meat exports increased by 2% from 11.0 billion to 11.2 billion euros. At the bottom of the list, fruit and vegetable exports increased by 12%, fruit by 11% and processed and preserved fruits and vegetables by 14%.

Coping with climate change

Dutch agricultural exports have maintained a steady growth rate for many years partly because research and development (R&D) funding has tripled over the past three decades (about 2% of GDP), focusing on increasing yields while reducing dependence on energy, water and inputs (greenhouses have virtually eliminated the use of pesticides).

In 2022 alone, total spending on R&D and innovation in the Netherlands amounts to around 9.9 billion euros. There are three examples that help the country's agricultural sector become more sustainable. Wageningen University has had the first crop of locally grown Dutch bananas using an alternative soil mixture made from coconut peat and rockwool. This process ensures that no fungi enter the product through bad soil and overall creates an efficient banana growing process.

The Dutch company Nijsen/Granico produces around 90,000 tons of animal feed per year entirely from human food waste and thus creates a much more sustainable meat production cycle. Rotterdam's entire new 'floating farm' feeds cows food scraps from local restaurants collected by electric trucks from GroenCollect. Cow manure is also collected and sold, making the floating farm quite sustainable.

It's no surprise that agriculture is one of the most problematic sectors in terms of global emissions and climate change. Since the turn of the century, many farmers have reduced their dependence on water for key crops by up to 90%. Dutch farmers have also almost completely eliminated the use of chemical pesticides in greenhouses.

But if we want to feed 8 billion people and fight climate change by 2050, there is still much work to be done. The Dutch have pioneered cell culture, vertical farming, seed technology and robotics in milking and harvesting – leading innovations focused on reducing water use as well as reducing waste. carbon and methane emissions.

The Dutch are also increasingly aware of the climate impact of agricultural exports. This is one of the factors that has brought many interesting Dutch agricultural innovations into the spotlight. With limited land and a rainy climate, the Dutch have become masters of efficiency.

Even so, challenges remain as the greenhouse industry has flourished in part thanks to cheap energy, but Western Europe is now facing rising gas prices. Besides, the Netherlands' intensive livestock farming activities are also at risk. The conservative coalition government has pledged to halve nitrogen emissions by 2030, which would require a significant reduction in the number of animals raised in the Netherlands.