Westland can be seen as the capitol of Horticulture in the world. We aspire to join forces and confronting the global challenges related to food safety and security we face daily. The strength of the Dutch greenhouse horticultural cluster lies in its ecosystem of close cooperation between government, the corporate sector and relevant knowledge institutions. This unique environment fosters innovation and collaboration, making our cluster the Silicon Valley of greenhouse horticulture. A region, where all the key players in the entire value chain of horticulture are present within an area of approximately 100 square kilometres. From seeds to growing, from technology, to packaging, transport and trade, supported by government as well as knowledge, technology and research institutes.
At just a stone’s throw distance of Rotterdam and The Hague. It is also the largest concentration of glass greenhouses globally. The horticultural sector in the Netherlands is well known for its knowledge, technology and innovations that can be found in greenhouses all over the world. And of course, everyone knows the delicious fruits, vegetables and beautiful flowers that are cultivated in a controlled environment in our country, and in the Westland region. The Dutch horticultural sector enables local production around the world and unlocks access to affordable and healthy food for tens of millions of people.
Given the current geopolitical situation, it cannot be ruled out that access to safe and healthy food for parts of the world will be at risk. Access to food is increasingly weaponized. The availability of scarce raw materials and the effect of climate change also play a large role. On top of that, the world population is growing rapidly to roughly 9 billion people in 2050. This urges the need for more healthy and sustainable food production on a local level. I firmly believe horticulture is the key to worldwide food security. And that is exactly where the strength in future cooperation lies.
The Municipality of Westland aims to intensify strategic networking with similar regions and related stakeholders around the globe. In recent years, we signed numerous MoU’s and established fruitful cooperation with some 30 regions in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, as well as the Far East. However, until now, all these partnerships are just one-on-one.
Therefore, the establishment of a Global Alliance of Horticulture Regions can be beneficial with a much more multilateral approach. Because even though we are on different sides of the world and embrace distinct cultures, our challenges in the field of ensuring food security, adapting to climate issues, increasing business opportunities and practicing food diplomacy are very similar.
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