Did you know that five billion people are expected to live in urban areas in 2030? How can cities continue to feed this urban population sustainably? This topic will be discussed during the Dutch Horticulture Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on 22 February 2022. The event will bring together agrifood and horticulture experts from around the world. They will explore new ways to apply an integrated ecosystem approach to boost food production.

Scarce resources such as water are increasingly under pressure. New irrigation and fertigation methods can help us make the best of limited water resources and allow farmers to grow more crop per drop. A Dutch-Colombian partnership increases water efficiency in Colombia’s palm oil industry.

Every day, 2,000 hectares of fertile land is lost around the world because of salinisation. Climate change and rising sea levels combined with the production of more food with less water (and often more fertiliser) turns once productive fields into salty, inarable terrain. Finding techniques and technology to prevent or counter this phenomenon increases the sector’s ability to adapt to changes, such as global warming. By combining the knowledge of crop, soil and water management to produce food in saline environments, saline farming increases food security and ensures a year-round income for local farmers. 

We are on the verge of great transitions. Climate change, food security and decreasing biodiversity — all require our immediate attention. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 10 billion people, driving up demand for scarce resources such as water, energy and food. More than two-thirds of this population will live in urban areas. How can we make cities more healthy, liveable and sustainable in the future? And how can the Netherlands help?

India, the world’s second-largest producer of rice, is sitting on a mountain of raw material, without realistic options to cash in on it. So each year, farmers burn around 90 million tons of rice straw, releasing a considerable amount of C02 in the process. Indian and Dutch public and private organisations have created the Biomass India consortium to convert this waste into climate-positive products.

We may not always be aware of it, but a revolution is taking place in our lifetime. High-tech solutions are often out of sight, but they are finding their way into our daily lives. Follow this series of 1-minute videos on high-tech innovations.