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The Horticulture Cluster Westland-
Oostland: a regional approach
Seinäjoki 2014 June 11
ERIAFF Conference: Sustainable Food Systems
Drs. Marga Vintges, Municipality of Westland

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Outline of the presentation
 Horticulture in the Netherlands
 Greenports, a regional approach
 Development, experiences and
innovations
 Knowledge development
 International approach
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Horticulture in the Netherlands
• Fruits and vegetables
• Bulbs, flowers, plants
and trees
- Cultivation: outdoor and in greenhouses
- In regional clusters
This presentation focusses on
Greenhouse based horticulture clusters
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Horticulture in the Netherlands
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Horticulture is a Dutch “top sector”
The agenda:
• More with less: innovative solutions with less
space, water, energy and minerals;
• Food safety and security;
• Health and well-being: innovative solutions that
provide healthy food and a healthy living and
working environment;
• Cooperating value chain: innovative solutions
that contribute to efficient and sustainable
chains;

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9 top sectors and cross overs
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What is a Greenport?
A large horticulture cluster of different companies,
in the supply chain, in spatial terms and in a
concentration of production, delivery, trade,
distribution and processing, which are strongly
interlinked.
Greenports: Regional Horticlusters

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Greenport Westland-Oostland
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Our role as a local government
• Focussing on horticultural development and
innovation.
• Stimulating modern greenhouse horticulture.
• Facilitate economic activities in agriculture, finding
new markets, through sustainable growing of
healthy, user-friendly products and concepts.
• Stimulating international cooperation
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Key success factor: all the needed
experiences are available
So as there are in Greenport Westland-Oostland:
1. Propagation material and seed selections
2. Technical equipment: greenhouses, water /
heating / climate control / cooling etc.
3. Crop management
4. Agro logistic knowledge (Fresh products)
5. Marketing experience (Auction Flora Holland)
6. Knowledge institutes
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Development of the area: 60 years ago
Amsterdam
The Hague
Rotterdam

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Today
Amsterdam
The Hague
Rotterdam
Westland

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Greenhouses in the area

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Recent Innovations
 Electricity production by cogeneration
 Different types of (Semi)-closed Greenhouses
 Sustainable water use
 Sustainable crop protection
 Global economic scale of operation
 Investments in new equipment to increase
productivity in order to stay in competition
 Thermal storage and geothermal energy

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Protected cultivation: better conditions
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Open field: 80 litre
water per kg tomatoes
Completely controlled
greenhouses: 4 litre water
per kg tomatoes

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Artificial light: extra lux and to change day-
night rhythm

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LED light
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30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Jaar
energie-efficientie(%1980)
werkelijke ontwikkeling doelstelling
Energy efficiency in the greenhouse sector
Real development goal

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Geothermal drilling
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CO2 distribution to greenhouses (red line)
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Water storage cellar

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Water reuse system
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pourwater
after beforedesinfection
Supply unit
rain
wellbore

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Biological crop protection
 In vegetables normally only biological crop
protection
 In flower and plant production less chemicals
are used
Example:
DELPHIBUG
Delphastus catalinae (predatory beetle).
Packaging: bottle
Contents: 1,000 predatory beetles
(adults) in buckwheat hulls.
Combats
Greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and cotton whitefly
(Bemisia tabaci), all phases, with a preference for eggs and larvae.
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Packing station for vegetables

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Agro-logistics business parks

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Logistics for fresh product (reefer)

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Logistic connections
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Knowledge development Westland- Oostland
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-Vocational education
- Applied universities
-Universities

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Knowledge transfer Westland-Oostland
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education lifelong
learning
valori
sation
inter
national
facilities
companies
education research

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Connection with EURO 2020 and
worldwide challenges
• There will be 9 billion people to feed
• Most of them living in metropolitan areas
• Food safety and food security
• With less use of materials, water and energy
Our offer
• Experience
• Knowledge
• Cooperation
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International cooperation
- China
- Japan
- Germany
- Many other countries and areas
We would like to cooperate with other horticultural
regions!
mgmvintges@gemeentewestland.nl
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Conclusion
The Greenport is
 A unique cluster in size and completeness
 The most knowledge intensive horticulture
complex
The Netherlands and Europe have gold in their
hands!
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Thank you
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