Agritech collaborations The Netherlands & Western-Canada

Their influence is still being reflected today in the ownership structure of the horticultural sector, as well as in the technology that is being used in some of the province's state of the art facilities. The rise of established tech companies, the development of government policies to promote technology and innovation, and BC's competitive advantages with a strategic geographical location provide a thriving environment for the acceleration of advancements in smart agriculture.

The BC agritech sector shows strong growth potential, with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 8% annually in BC and 12% globally. By 2025, BC's agritech sector is expected to generate an estimated $600 million in revenue and directly support ~2,300 jobs (MNP, 2020).

In November 2019, a Letter of Intent (LOI) was signed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands and the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology of British Columbia. Mutually challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, the government of BC and the Netherlands joined efforts to actively support collaborative opportunities in innovation in agriculture and to collectively find solutions to these global challenges.

Recent examples of BC-NL Collaboration in Agriculture
Below, there are several recent examples of successful BC-NL collaborations on innovative solutions to make sustainable agriculture possible. They represent a mutual interest in autonomous growing, improved crop quality and a reduced impact on the environment.

Ecoation Innovation Solutions Inc. (BC)- Blue Radix (NL)
Ecoation Innovation Solutions Inc., a Canadian grower-centric platform that uses both human knowledge and machine accuracy to assist growers, recently announced a collaboration with Dutch AI-tech company Blue Radix, winner of the Greenhouse Technology Award at the 2021 Canadian Greenhouse Conference. Together they established a partnership developing the world's first autonomous Find & Fix solution, which further automates the decision-making process regarding crop quality and climate control.

Klaassen Farms (BC) - FineField (NL)
Klaassen Farms, a large family-owned blueberry farm (Chiliwack, BC), recently added an automatic blueberry harvester to their operations, developed by Dutch company FineField. This solar operated harvester called "Harvy 500" is fully automated and replaces the work of 50-60 hand pickers, while maintaining a high quality berry, and decreasing ground loss.

Qualitree (BC) - Aris Vision Systems (NL)
Aris Vision Systems, a Dutch specialist in machine robotic camera systems for controlling and handling of agrifood products, has recently partnered up with its launching customer and wholesale propagation expert Qualitree (Chilliwack, BC). The Qualitree team loves to harness Dutch technology partnerships to exceed the expectations of their customer partners, and to further their goal of becoming the most efficient nursery in North America through a process of continuous improvement. 

TechBrew (BC) - Highline Mushrooms (BC) - Banken Champignons (NL)
Banken Champignons, one of the leading international companies producing and trading fresh and specialty mushrooms, and Highline Mushrooms (Langley, BC) invested in a pilot project to adopt TechBrew's advanced technology to automate the mushroom picking process. The project received an additional grant via the BC Agritech Grant Program, a program from the provincial government of BC to expand and develop technologies to help increase sustainable and regenerative food production.

More information
For contact, the event agenda and more examples of collaborations in agriculture between companies in BC and the Netherlands, click here.

Photo courtesy of Consulate General Netherlands in Canada

Source: HortiBiz