07 March 2025
The greenhouse vegetable sector is facing a challenge: how can we continue to grow as optimally as possible while meeting what society and regulations demand of us? The producer organisations united in the Federation of Salads Organisations (FVO) are taking their responsibility and are therefore launching the Green Growing Expertise Centre. A place where growers, research and experts work together on practical solutions to make growing more sustainable.
"With the Green Growing Expertise Centre, we want to accelerate the transition to green salads cultivation." says Kees de Kat, director Growers United and portfolio holder within FVO. "We know the practice like no other. We therefore want to experience and show from our own expertise what works and what does not. From the day-to-day reality of the greenhouse, we are working on three important pillars for green cultivation: accelerate admission, test it in practice and develop knowledge and skills for its application."
"We cannot sit still and wait and see," stresses Helma Verberkt, who will lead the Green Growing Expertise Centre as quartermaster and prospective director. "As a fruit vegetable sector, we must now show that we want to and can move forward. The Green Growing Expertise Centre is going to help, with and for growers, to achieve profitable salads cultivation in an integral resilient cultivation system with green, organic and technological solutions. We bring together regulation, practical trials and application in practice."
Testing in practice
A good idea has to prove itself in the greenhouse, not just on paper. Within the 100% Green Cultivated practical project, this is being done in cooperation with suppliers. Seven practical pilots are working on a sustainable and resilient cultivation system. This system aims to grow salads cultivation without synthetic agents, with the ambition to be completely green and profitable by the end of 2026. We share this knowledge with growers, but also with the government and the public. In this way, we show with hard figures what is possible and what is not.
"We don't just want to participate, we especially want to do," stresses Ton van Dalen, director of Oxin Growers and chairman of the 100% Green Grown Steering Group. "With projects like 100% Green Cultivated, we show society how we do business sustainably and it also becomes clear where obstacles are.
Regulations
We solve technical obstacles by taking up new challenges in practical trials and experiments. Obstacle regulations, such as lengthy authorisation procedures and insufficiently practical regulations, are clearly identified. Good solutions simply do not get through the authorisation process because it is too costly. This initiative is going to help make this path shorter and more practical. We are also looking at new technology and how it can be cleverly deployed within regulations. Together, we will look for innovation in regulations so that they are better aligned with practice.
Developing knowledge and skills
New methods require new knowledge and skills. The Green Growing Expertise Centre helps growers and their employees acquire and apply this knowledge. To this end, we create practical teaching aids that can be used directly in the greenhouse. We also share this knowledge with schools, so that the new generation of growers is well prepared for work.
As a knowledge partner, Van Iperen contributes its expertise to the initiative. By bringing together all knowledge on regulations, research and practice, we can take faster steps towards sustainable cultivation.
"Over the next two months, we are working on further concretising and setting up the Green Growing Expertise Centre," says Helma Verberkt. We will present the plans at the end of April.