Netherlands, China to intensify greenhouse cooperation

WESTLAND, Netherlands: A new Partners for International Business (PIB) consortium, in collaboration with the Dutch Enterprise Agency RVO and knowledge institutions, is focusing on long term cooperation with stakeholders from within China’s horticultural industry.

In China, the middle class and the need for fresh and safe food are growing rapidly. At the same time, Chinese consumers are increasingly willing to pay for quality and convenience. In addition, the Chinese agricultural sector is struggling with several sustainability problems. One of the most significant challenges is the lack of a well-oiled cold chain.

The Dutch consortium, which is a public-private partnership, offers opportunities for the Dutch horticultural sector in terms of the sharing of knowledge, greenhouse technology, services and concepts with their Chinese counterparts. By cooperating with the Chinese government at several levels and by providing customised solutions, this cluster expects to be able to contribute to the supply of fresh and safe food in China.

The consortium incorporates KuiperCompagnons, LANS Groep, Kenlog, BASF Vegetable Seeds, Kubo, HX Agriculture, Codema, Ridder Group, Svensson, and Imagro. The participating knowledge institutions are Lentiz Onderwijsgroep and Inholland University of Applied Sciences.