Netherlands | How did such a Tiny country become World’s 2nd Largest Food Exporter

Welcome my friends.

It dates back to World War II, when in September 1944 Dutch railway workers jammed a railway wheel to stop the movement of German Nazi troops.

Unfortunately, they failed in their objective, but in return, as punishment, the German army cut off food supplies to the Netherlands.

As a result, much of the country suffered from food shortages and severe famine Pregnant women were particularly hard hit during this time, and the babies they gave birth to were affected by the famine for life.

Among them, the rate of diseases like obesity, diabetes and schizophrenia was observed to be very high By the time the Netherlands was liberated from German occupation in May 1945, thousands of people had starved to death.

Friends, severe food shortages and this most difficult period determined the future priorities of the Netherlands.

After the end of the war, the Netherlands government gave special importance to agriculture and food production and today the Netherlands exports food and agricultural products to the whole world in addition to meeting its own needs.

As small as half the area of the smallest province of Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, this densely populated country currently ranks second in the world with agricultural exports of more than 100 billion dollars.

while the United States, which is on the first place, is about 240 times larger than Netherlands.

The Netherlands currently have more than one-third market share of the world trade in fruit, vegetable and flower seeds.

The Netherlands is also a major exporter of dairy products, including cheese and powdered milk, Moreover, the Netherlands has become the largest meat exporter in Europe.

Friends, the Dutch are one of the healthiest people in the world when it comes to food and nutrition, According to the Oxfam Food Index, the Netherlands ranks first among 125 countries in terms of nutritious, healthy, affordable and abundant food.

In this article, we will try to find out how important good agricultural production will be in the future, and how the Netherlands is currently supplying food to the whole world through extensive agricultural production despite its small area.

Importance of agriculture

According to an estimate, by 2050, the world's population will reach about 10 billion. To feed such a large number of people would certainly require a large-scale cultivation

In the world's current agricultural system, this much production would likely require the conversion of most of the planet's forests to agricultural land.

Moreover, providing large amounts of water to make such a large area cultivable will also be a huge challenge , Therefore, in all these circumstances, there is a need for ways to meet future food needs that can produce more with less land and fewer resources.

In this regard, the Netherlands is emerging as a country that is producing more agricultural production even on less land with the use of research and modern technology in the field of agriculture

Let's see what are the reasons for the sustainable agricultural success of the Netherlands.

Fertile land

Fertile soil is a basic requirement for good agricultural production

The land of the Netherlands is fertile and the temperature and climatic conditions are moderate for farming so growing crops, growing plants and raising livestock and poultry is done with great ease.

The Netherlands currently cultivates more than half of its land area.

Apart from the US, countries like India, China, Russia and Brazil are also producing large amounts of agricultural products due to their fertile land and vast area. but due to their high population, these countries also need more food ,On the other hand, countries with harsh climates and arid lands depend on imports for food.

In this sense, the Netherlands has a unique position because, despite being small and densely populated, the Netherlands exports a large amount of agricultural products in addition to its own needs In terms of area, India is 80 times larger than the Netherlands and the Netherlands is also more densely populated than India ,yet the Netherlands has almost three times more agricultural exports than India ,Moreover, the Netherlands being located in Central Europe, geographically makes it an excellent location for exporting goods to the whole of Europe in particular, and to the rest of the world in general agriculture technology.

Agricultural technology

The people of the Netherlands rely heavily on modern agricultural technology In this regard, they use the latest machinery for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, application of fertilizers and sprays, harvesting and cutting of fruits from trees Drones connected to advanced monitoring systems are also used to monitor crops.

The use of vertical farming and greenhouses in the Netherlands has greatly increased agricultural production ,In vertical farming, crops are grown in layers or levels on top of each other in a controlled environment, in the form of blocks ,to ensure large quantities of fresh vegetables at any part of the year regardless of the season and climate.

In this controlled environment, crops can be protected from the effects of natural weather, such as rain, strong sun, wind or snow ,By means of vertical farming, the required amount of agricultural production can be obtained on 10 to 20 times less land.

However, the energy consumption for this technology is relatively high, for which greenhouse technology is being used,

The purpose of a greenhouse is to carefully control the temperature with the help of sunlight and heat,

Therefore, the energy obtained from natural resources is used to increase agricultural production in the presence of a particular environment ,Moreover, the use of additional artificial light enables the plant to grow 24 hours a day to produce more in a shorter period of time.

Friends, manufacturing of fertilizers and pesticides in factories is a major cause of air pollution and climate change ,Moreover, the continuous use of these drugs on the earth can be harmful to the earth in the long run.

Thanks to vertical farming and greenhouse technology, crop yields are increased with less use of fertilizers and pesticides and minimal release of nutrients ,Apart from this, water consumption can be reduced by about 90% due to this technology.

Plant Lab, a research center in the Netherlands, is the largest vertical farming center in the world.

It uses special LED lights for lighting and plastic trays for growing plants ,In this farm everything is automated, nothing is touched by human hands and no water is wasted, that is, water is reused ,Currently, this farm is most useful for growing leafy vegetables, herbs and tomatoes.

Due to this technology, the Netherlands leads the world in per acre production of various vegetables, including tomatoes and cucumbers

Netherlands is also the largest exporter of onions

In addition, modern farms have been built in the Netherlands for higher production of meat and dairy products Poultry farms designed for the breeding and development of chickens are climate and temperature controlled and they are fed the best food.

The Netherlands currently produces around 4 million cows, 104 million chickens and a large number of other animals annually ,making the Netherlands the largest meat exporter in Europe.

Education and Research

The Netherlands has a strong focus on educating people involved in agriculture with the latest technology and research

Wageningen University in the Netherlands is considered the world's number one university for agricultural sciences and education and research,

A major reason for the success of the Netherlands in the field of agriculture is the research conducted in the laboratories of this university.

For example, the university conducted new research to grow bananas in Dutch greenhouses with which fungi do not damage the crops and thus greatly increase crop yields.

At least 15 of the world's largest companies in the food business, including Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Unilever and Kraft Heinz, have research centers in the Netherlands.

The whole world benefits from the research done here.

Eggs and dairy products are a huge part of the Netherlands' exports, so feeding these large numbers of animals is also a challenge,but some Dutch companies are solving this problem by making animal feed completely from waste of human food, including residues from the baking industry, which is not only fulfilling the need for animal feed but also supporting large-scale meat production , Dutch companies are currently the largest suppliers of agricultural seeds in the world.

In the northwest of the Netherlands there is an area called the seed valley, where seeds of new varieties of vegetables and flowers are constantly being produced ,Various companies here are constantly researching and developing seeds that can make higher crop yields possible.

These companies produce seeds for all types of climates, extreme weather, low water and outdoor and indoor cultivation ,With this research and modern methods, today the wheat production of the Netherlands per acre is more than 85 times 40kg , compared to Pakistan's average wheat production per acre is 40 times 40 kg

Government policies and infrastructure

Friends, for this large-scale production of agricultural products and the use of technology , the farmer needs the support and guidance of the government and research institutes.

In this regard, there is a strong collaborative atmosphere in the Netherlands between the food industries, academic and research institutions and the government ,Digital infrastructure is in place in the country, and all data is interconnected through Internet of Things (IoT).

For weather information, farmers can acquire data from a national network of weather stations ,There is an extensive system of crop monitoring through various sensors and devices.

Moreover, the government provides easy opportunities and resources to sell food products domestically and internationally.

Friends, due to all these reasons we can say that Netherlands is the second largest exporter in the world today ,due to its research and development, use of latest technology and equipment, fast and better infrastructure, hard work and dedication

Due to the use of robotics and advanced technology, the Netherlands is focusing less on manpower and more on scientific knowledge .

As Pakistan is primarily an agricultural country and our land is also very fertile by focusing on research and development, Pakistan can increase agricultural production immensely and emerge as a major exporter.

So friends, how did you like this informative article, let us know your opinion in the comments