‘Plant Empowerment: The basic principles’ is now also available in Spanish. Thousands of copies of the English-language edition of the book have already been sold around the world, and a Dutch version was released in August 2020. The publication of the Spanish version of the book will be celebrated during an official online ceremony organized by HortiConnect featuring various stakeholders in Querétaro, Mexico. The publication of the book coincides with the launch of the Spanish-language version of the Plant Empowerment website.
Plant Empowerment is a cultivation method for greenhouse crops that revolves around supporting a plant’s natural balances so that it can become strong and healthy. A strong and healthy plant is more resilient against pests and diseases and produces a higher yield of better quality end products. At the same time, the plant makes more efficient use of the available resources such as water, fertilizers and energy, and there is less need for crop protection agents. As a result, Plant Empowerment contributes to sustainable horticulture. In 2018, data specialist LetsGrow.com published the English-language book in partnership with the founders of the Plant Empowerment philosophy: Jan Voogt, Peter Geelen and Peter van Weel. ‘Plant Empowerment: The basic principles’ comprises over 350 pages detailing this unique cultivation method. The book has since become an international bestseller, having sold thousands of copies worldwide.
Future generations of growers
After the first launch in English, the book has been translated into Dutch to make the Plant Empowerment principles even more accessible for growers and horticulture students in the Netherlands, and it is hoped that the new Spanish version will do the same elsewhere. As of this year, the book has been integrated into the curriculum of numerous horticulture-related study programs in the Netherlands, and the authors of Plant Empowerment are currently discussing its potential inclusion by horticultural education institutions in other countries. The aim is for future generations of growers to learn to think about plant balances and needs during their studies, which will help to accelerate further the horticultural sector’s shift towards a more sustainable approach.
Working together towards sustainable horticulture Collaboration between all stakeholders – including scientific and academic institutions, governments, growers, suppliers, crop consultants, etc. – will be essential in order to accomplish the goal of making the horticultural sector more sustainable, both in the Netherlands and worldwide. The Plant Empowerment Community is one such multidisciplinary group of stakeholders who are united in their support of the Plant Empowerment principles as the basis for developing integrated solutions aimed at sustainable and also profitable greenhouse crop production.
Mauricio Revah and Pharis Rico
Official launch of the Spanish edition
The translation of the book into Spanish was co-funded by the Dutch government in Mexico. Pharis Rico from HortiConnect –a business platform that facilitates collaborative partnerships between Dutch horticultural experts and Mexican crop production companies – is today organizing the official online launch ceremony of the book in conjunction with Mauricio Revah (CEO of United Farms - Finka, which operates a number of large-scale greenhouse facilities in the Querétaro region). The book launch also featured a video speech by the authors and Peter Hendriks (chair of the Plant Empowerment Implementation Partners Foundation) in which they could be seen smashing a piñata which had a copy of the book inside it. Needless to say, the ceremony complied with all relevant coronavirus restrictions. “We are tremendously proud of this latest milestone in the evolution of Plant Empowerment,” commented Jan Voogt, speaking about the launch of the Spanish edition on behalf of himself and his co-authors Peter Geelen and Peter van Weel. “We hope that current and future growers in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries will find this new translation very beneficial in sustainably improving both yields and quality in their crops.”
Click here to order a copy of the book in Spanish, Dutch or English: https://www.plantempowerment.com/product/plant-empowerment-book/
Click here to visit the Spanish version of the website: https://www.plantempowerment.es/
