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I think the article paints this as a multi-factor contribution to the yields in the Netherlands. But all the high-tech examples are marginal volume wise. The m
by DoingIsLearning 4y ago
I think the article paints this as a multi-factor contribution to the yields in the Netherlands. But all the high-tech examples are marginal volume wise.
The major factors in the success of the Netherlands is:
- Insanely fertile clay soil
- Careful water management
- Large square footage of greenhouses,
Everything else in the article is kind of vapourware.
- emrvb 4y agoI'm from the Netherlands and I must agree. The entire article reads as a sponsored item.
- radicalbyte 4y agoWe have the top agri/bio university in the world here too which I assume is a massive plus and an area which is basically Silicon Valley for agri/bio tech (where I live).
- brodouevencode 4y agoWhat's the name of this university?
- Jasp3r 4y agoWageningen University
- brodouevencode 4y agoMaybe a sponsored mea culpa for the protests? https://finance.yahoo.com/news/netherlands-buy-farmers-amid-pushback-162708037.html https://finance.yahoo.com/news/netherlands-buy-farmers-amid-...
- emrvb 4y agoThe protests are coming from individual farmers, the article is a feel good story about large(r) companies profiting from those farmers.
- Maarten88 4y agoThose same large agri companies are working behind the scenes to stir up the farmer protests, hiding behind likable small family farmers. See some recent TV commercials to positively frame farmers' image. But many of those farmers are not a small family business anymore, they are very profitable businesses and the owners want to continue making those profits, increasing emissions which are already too high for our very small country.
- whythre 4y ago“But many of those farmers are not a small family business anymore, they are very profitable businesses…” My wife is a small business owner and it is rough as hell. Directing shit at the farmers who actually managed to be successful and grow their operations seems really stupid.
- l3uwin 4y agoNot all small business are farms and not all farms are small businesses
- anigbrowl 4y agoIt's clickbait, that's why they don't put 'the Netherlands' in the headline. It's better to edit a headline when submitting an otherwise interesting story to HN than to perpetuate this sort of marketing-speak.
- usrusr 4y agoImport of (fossil based) fertilizer and of animal feed that's converted into another form of imported fertilizer by the primary use aren't major factors?
- DoingIsLearning 4y agoNo in the sense that they are not diferentiating factors, i.e. everybody else is also doing that and yet don't have surplus of food.
- usrusr 4y agoChances are they are, per capita, importing a lot more than others (haven't looked it up but I'd be surprised if they didn't, happily surprised that is), and if that's the case, "others do it too" (but less of it) doesn't rule out that the nl food surplus is more a form of processing (of other countries agricultural output) than of domestic production, that just hides behind the different classification of imports and exports (one isn't food, the other is). How much agricultural surplus would there still be if they were isolated for a few years?
- dtech 4y agoThis is easily researched [1]. While NL exports inflated due to having a large port with a lot of imports, they are still a large net exporter compared to size. [1] https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2022/03/agricultural-exports-exceeded-100-billion-euros-in-2021 https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2022/03/agricultural-exports-e.... In monetary values, 28% is re-exports and 72% is exports.
- usrusr 4y agoEasily researched? Imports and exports are usually compared in terms of € or USD and sure, if you process feed into meat you will make a surplus or you wouldn't do it. But for agriculture, a more fitting unit would be the nitrogen involved, and I'm pretty sure that imports greatly outweigh what's exported in food.
- chaoz_ 4y agoNo, it's square meterage
- ChuckNorris89 4y agoI have a few issues with this pro Netherlands agriculture piece: 1. Vegetables grown in the Netherlands tend to taste very bland in my experience (personal taste), tough I can't complain for the price as they're usually the cheapest option in local supermarkets. If you want great tasting organic veggies you get them at the farmers market which has higher prices than the supermarkets and is only open on certain times of the day/week making convenience an issue as well. 2. The conditions I witnessed in which animals are farmed in the Netherlands are appalling. The amount of diseased animals (infected bloody wounds and swollen limbs from puss), overpacked in their own feces, will turn anyone vegetarian. To be fair, the Netherlands is not alone here but in general, then animal conditions I witnessed in places like Germany, Austria or Switzerland were on average better than in the Netherlands. Disclaimer: I work in tech for the farming industry
- emrvb 4y ago1. The good stuff is for export. 2. Would you reckon your experience applies to the average animal farm in the Netherlands or does it apply to the farms where your tech gets applied?
- ChuckNorris89 4y ago1. It was the stuff for export (I'm not based in the Netherlands) 2. My anecdotal evidence is restricted only to the farms I visited which in my opinion tend to represent the typical/average medium to large scale farms catering to the usual meat suppliers you'll find in local supermarket or big butcher/meat chains regardless of country.
- emrvb 4y ago1. I guess we're overproducing the bland stuff then. 2. Fair enough. My own anecdotal evidence hasn't been that bad. But then again, I haven't seen an industrialized pigpen yet.
- someotherperson 4y ago> Vegetables grown in the Netherlands tend to taste very bland in my experience (personal taste) I see this raised often. It's almost exclusively because the cultivars used are specifically chosen for yield and hardiness in transport and storage. The "organic" stuff grown in a farm 20km away and only needs to be transported for half an hour, on the other hand, are just cultivars that can be selected for reasons other than hardiness. This type of cultivar can also be mass-produced although it becomes a lot more expensive for the producer and the customer.
- Jasp3r 4y agoDo you have some data to backup this bold claim?
- DoingIsLearning 4y agoDoes the Washigton post have any data at all about how robotic arms or seed design are driving the farming yields in the Netherlands?
- Mistletoe 4y agoBut it’s almost certain they don’t use the clay soil in the greenhouses, right? You almost always grow in soilless medium or hydroponics in greenhouses.
- bergenty 4y agoI’ve never heard of clay soil being referred to as fertile. What exactly grows in clay soil? Generally vegetables don’t grow in clay soil, neither do a lot of fruit trees.
- shellfishgene 4y agoAlso it's second largest exporter by value, not by calories. So they are not exactly "feeding the world".