A group of greenhouse growers, mainly younger entrepreneurs, are working on a vision for the future of greenhouse horticulture in the Bommelerwaard. The vision is intended for personal use. But also to make it clear to politicians and society that the greenhouse horticulture sector can continue to mean a lot for the area, and can contribute to the realisation of various social tasks.
"The time is right to put on paper how we from the sector view the desired development of greenhouse horticulture in Bommelerwaard over the next ten years," says Leendert van Tuijl, chrysanthemum grower in Zuilichem. He is part of a group of predominantly younger entrepreneurs who have taken the initiative to draw up Vision 2030.
The entrepreneurs receive help from the Greenhouse Horticulture Pact Bommelerwaard & Tielerwaard, which has engaged a specialised agency. The intention is that Vision 2030 will be ready before the summer.
Why the rush? Those involved explain this on the website of the Greenhouse Horticulture Pact. "The need for a sector to know where you want to go is currently very topical. The municipalities of Maasdriel and Zaltbommel, which together form Bommelerwaard, are in the process of drawing up an Environmental Vision for Bommelerwaard. In this the vision of the future for horticulture is also touched upon," says Jelle Pippel of Pippel Lisianthus in Brakel. "Our aim is to exert specific influence on the development of the new Environmental Vision. And a future vision of the sector can play a positive role in this."
Space for greenhouse horticulture
As far as entrepreneurs are concerned, the most important starting point in Vision 2030 is that there must be development space for greenhouse horticulture in the Bommelerwaard. "Traditionally, horticulture has been an important activity in the region. For generations, greenhouse horticulture has been linked to society here, as well as an important economic activity. The sector brings a lot of dynamism and employment", says Pippel.
The need for development space for greenhouse horticulture in the area is also directly related to the large number of young entrepreneurs in the greenhouse horticulture sector. "In contrast to some other agricultural sectors, business succession is not a concern here. There are many young people who see a future for themselves in greenhouse horticulture, and are working on this with great ambition."
Nevertheless, it cannot be taken for granted that political support will remain for the greenhouse horticulture sector in the area, notes Gerard Selman, programme manager Greenhouse Horticulture Pact Bommelerwaard & Tielerwaard. "It is important to listen carefully to the arguments of citizens and politicians. The Vision 2030 can help to discuss this," says Selman.
"Greenhouse horticulture is a sector in which innovations succeed each other at a rapid pace. Modern greenhouse horticulture companies produce in a sustainable way. Growers, for example, make full use of natural enemies to combat pests and diseases. In terms of energy consumption, horticulturists have made great strides in recent years. Both within the individual companies and jointly through research into the construction of a CO2 network and geothermal energy. Entrepreneurs are making every effort to provide housing for migrant workers in the companies, so that there is no pressure on the housing supply in the villages."
Social challenges
It is also the intention to use Vision 2030 to make it clear that greenhouse horticulture can be an important player in the realization of social challenges. "Think in particular of the energy transition and water storage," says Pippel. "Greenhouse horticulture companies can easily be combined with the generation of green energy. Elsewhere in the Netherlands there are already good examples of the combination of greenhouse horticulture with wind turbines. Horticulture companies can also play a role in the distribution of heat, reducing the need for energy for the heating of homes."
Clusters of companies
The authors of Vision 2030 conclude that clustering landscape glass horticulture companies offers opportunities for a more robust interpretation. Van Tuijl: "At the moment, companies in the case of new construction are responsible for the landscape integration around the new greenhouse. We think that you can achieve more by realizing the landscape integration at cluster level. You then create a green zone, as it were. the exterior of a greenhouse horticulture cluster, which offers many possibilities, such as creating space for water retention, for example in combination with solar panels, and if you construct a cycle path through a green border along a horticultural cluster, you can also link it to a recreational function. "
Selman adds: "In this way you link the future location of greenhouse horticulture companies to a quality plan. On the one hand, this plan provides development prospects for companies, and on the other hand offers space for fulfilling social challenges in the areas of integration, energy and water."
Plots
The availability of sufficient business lots is important for the development possibilities of greenhouse horticulture companies; plots that meet the future wishes of entrepreneurs in terms of size and shape. Selman notes that the supply of such plots in the area is limited. "Imagine, as an entrepreneur, you currently want to build a new company in the Bommelerwaard, and you are looking for a plot of 10 ha. That it is very difficult to find."
Pippel and Van Tuijl establish that a good future for greenhouse horticulture in the Bommelerwaard requires governments to make spatial choices. "And for entrepreneurs it remains important not to lose sight of the common interests in addition to individual business interests. The future development of successful horticultural clusters requires a collective approach."