Dutch Delegation aim to feed the world with greenhouse tech

Added on 05 May 2022

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One way the Dutch view their colonial history is through the lenses of the priest and the merchant, both of which saw global connectivity, for better or worse, as vital to their missions.

The Consulate General of the Netherlands arranged a modern-day pairing of those two archetypes during a discussion last Wednesday on how greenhouse technology can help feed the world.

Despite its small size, the Netherlands defies odds as the world's top agricultural exporter, even though its land mass is about 300 times smaller than that of the United States. Greenhouses and vertical farming are key components of this story.

Former Atlanta Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young, who served as a reverend before he became a public servant and civil right icon, joined Eric Egberts, CEO of Dutch Greenhouse Delta for a fireside chat welcoming a group of companies in the sector on a fact-finding mission to North Carolina and Georgia.

In opening remarks, Mr. Young said achieving equitable global food production and distribution was a spiritual and moral imperative with potentially eternal ramifications.

"There's something for me very religious about this gathering, whether you want to see it or not. God does not give a damn what you think," the ambassador said to laughter before continuing: "While we are yet sinners, he has gathered us and somehow made it possible for us to sustain this planet with peace on earth and goodwill toward men, women and children. And part of that is to feed the hungry and heal the sick. Now, that's why I'm here. You're here for other reasons that are just as legitimate."

A profit motive, he said, is a suitable way to animate the world toward good, adding that, in his experience, the Dutch blend business and social responsibility in a way that is "not pompous and holy and righteous" but instead can be quietly productive.

Mr. Young said he learned early on in life and politics that going with the flow of Dutch ingenuity can be an economic boon. His father, a dentist who traveled up the Mississippi River to provide free dental care during the Great Depression, often praised Dutch innovations helping the New Orleans stay dry even though, like Amsterdam, it sits below sea level.