Several major challenges the world faces in the coming decades, which include an increase in population growth as well as resource scarcity, strongly influence the way food is and will be produced in years to come. Besides this, consumers are increasingly opting for high quality fresh produce which is not only healthy and safe, but which is also cultivated sustainably. The ‘Innovation Cluster’ in the House of Flavour at the Floriade, will tell the story of how the Dutch horticultural sector makes this possible.
Top Sector Horticulture
The Dutch government recently declared its greenhouse horticultural sector as one of the Top Ten sectors of the Netherlands. In the coming years, the Dutch government will be investing in innovation projects to boost the Dutch horticultural sector. Innovation projects will focus on the themes ‘Doing more with less’, ‘Food safety and certainty’, ‘Health and Well Being’ and ‘A Collaborative Value Chain’. In line with these themes, several horticultural chain partners have teamed up to present the story of sustainable Dutch greenhouse production at the Floriade this year. Together, these parties - Grodan, Hellebrekers, Hoogendoorn, Elektro Limburg, Pentair Haffmans, TNO, Vostermans Ventilation, Water IQ and Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture – form the ‘Innovation Cluster’, situated in the House of Flavour.
Innovation Cluster
The ‘Innovation Cluster’ stand bears the theme 100% Efficiency and is split into eight parts, each part explaining an innovative solution contributing to sustainable growing in the greenhouse. However, the different elements are presented as a whole. This symbolises the power of collaboration between the greenhouse suppliers, knowledge institutes and growers. By working together and synchronising solutions, the extent of sustainable growing is far greater. Thanks to this collaboration and thanks to the dedicated care given to the greenhouse plants by the grower, consumers are able to eat healthy, safe and tasty vegetables which are grown in a sustainable manner.
High Tech Greenhouse 2020 project
For professional visitors from the horticultural sector, there will be a possibility in the near future to visit a greenhouse innovation project in the vicinity of the Floriade. In this High Tech 2020 Greenhouse, visitors will be able to see how various solutions, including those presented in the ‘Innovation Cluster’, have been integrated. In
the coming three years, these integrated solutions will be tested in order to obtain best practices for further innovation in the greenhouse industry.
The Floriade
This year, the Floriade world horticultural exhibition will take place in Venlo from 5 April until 7 October. The Floriade has been organised in the Netherlands once every ten years since the 60’s and this will be the sixth edition. During the Floriade, more than a hundred exhibitors from dozens of countries demonstrate the different
ways in which horticulture contributes to a better world. The exhibition park comprises five unique themed worlds connected by wooded areas. These different worlds will enable the visitor to see, feel and experience nature and food in different ways.
For more information, please visit: www.grodan.com