Netherland Reduces Dependence on Water by 90 Percent; Will be Number One to Feed World by 2050

Irrespective of the availability of water which is 70 percent, there is a threat and fear of non availability of water for the future generations. So, what to do now? Answer is simple that we should conserve water for the generations to come. 

Agricultural scientists are working on the varieties of rice which consumes less water. The International Rice Research Institute’s top priority is to develop the varieties of rice which do not require much water.  The agricultural scientists and farmers’ world over are trying to conserve water. The Dutch farmers have reduced dependence on water by as much as 90 percent. They have almost eliminated use of chemical pesticides in greenhouses.

The Netherlands is the second-largest exporter of food in the world — trailing only behind the United States, which is 270-times its landmass. With an area of just 41,500km2 — including 7,800km2 of open water — and a population of only 17m, it appears to lack the people or resources necessary for large-scale production.

Mostly, the Dutch farmers, productivity successes stem from the country’s adoption of greenhouses. More than 4000ha of greenhouses have enabled growers to adopt climate-controlled agriculture, and in a place where temperatures are similar to the UK it is able to produce tomatoes that rival Mediterranean countries.

But these greenhouses have also led to the development of recycled agricultural systems — with heat from the glasshouses being used to power local schools or swimming pools — an approach which has spread through Dutch farming and is shaping its food systems of tomorrow.

The Netherlands exported almost $92 billion worth of agricultural produce in the year 2017, second only to the USA. It means that they export more food than any other European country, including much larger neighbors like Germany, France and Italy.

Dutch agri-food products are exported all over the world. This applies to plant-based produce as well as for animal products such as livestock, poultry (meat) and eggs. Machinery for the processing of agri-food products: from robotic soft-fruit pickers; to automated meat separators; to potato processing; is also a key global export product, as is the knowledge around food processing.

Climate Smart Agriculture having an alliance with the intention to expand and intensify the projects carried out by small farmers, horticultural growers and fishermen, and to continue to guarantee food safety through targeted public-private partnerships. To feed a world population of 9 billion people by 2050. The Dutch agricultural sector is strongly focused on sustainability: it is a source of healthy, safe food that is produced with respect for the landscape and the environment.