We will take you on a journey through this agricultural country of The Netherlands, showing you what the future of farming could look like.
The Netherlands, a strip of fertile and reclaimed land, is strategically positioned in Northwest Europe. With more than 17 million inhabitants, this small country is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, just after The United States. Over half of the total surface is in use for agriculture.
The country benefits from access to the sea, rail and trucking ports and distribution networks of European’s most vital waterways (Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt). The Netherlands is known for milk, dairy and cheese, arable and horticulture farming: vegetables and flowers in fully computerised greenhouses. Precision farming and automatic milking systems are well developed.
Some of the excursions we offer:
The Netherlands is a dairy country with old traditions in the production and consumption of milk, butter, and cheese. its image is inextricably linked to a characteristic landscape of fields dotted with cows and windmills. Behind this image lies, a modern sector which is constantly innovating thanks to the combination of University research and collaboration between many Dutch companies.
Three out of the five widely used milking robots are manufactured in the Netherlands, two of the biggest worldwide operational semen organizations are based in the Netherlands, and two of the three internationally used Herd management programs are controlled by Dutch-based companies that make farmers’ lives easier with innovative solutions and tailored services.
An authentic experience can be found in a demonstration greenhouse, where more than 80 different tomato varieties are grown, using the so-called Dutch Method.
We take you on board of the global challenges of climate change, food waste, freshwater scarcity, urbanisation, finiteness of fossil fuels and food availability and safety.
Experience the hustle and bustle of the world’s largest flower auction, watch traders bid against the clock and be amazed by the quantity of beautiful flowers and plants traded daily.
World Horti Center is the innovation and knowledge centre for the horticulture sector. During a tour, we will introduce you to the worlds of research and education and the innovative horticulture cluster with over 100 pioneering companies.
‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’
That is the mission of Wageningen University & Research. Over 6,500 employees and 12,000 students from more than a hundred countries work around the world in the domain of healthy food and living environment for governments and the business community-at-large.