'Joint responsibility in making energy more sustainable'

Added on 27 May 2024

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'Joint responsibility in making energy more sustainable'

Photo: GreenTech

GreenTech is shining a spotlight on the transitions happening in the world today. With numerous challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and the need for more sustainable practices, the current food production systems are being greatly affected. In a series of articles, we will delve into the challenges and opportunities of these transitions in the horticulture industry. In this article we asked Division Q, a company that stimulates technical innovations to make horticulture more sustainable, what’s happening in the field of energy.

Division Q is a spin-off of Koppert Cress, a company that produces, among other things, sprouts. The Dutch company has been known for years for its innovative approach, both in terms of product range and processes. “We want to make our products as sustainable as possible purely from an intrinsic motivation. For example, we were one of the first to use LED lighting in the greenhouse and we already do a lot with soil energy, solar energy and aquathermal energy," says director Bart van Meurs of Division Q. He refers to a prestigious prize, the Koning Willem I Plaquette, that Koppert Cress won in 2006 for 'most sustainable company in the Netherlands.' “At a time when horticulture is sometimes approached critically, this was also a great boost for the sector as a whole. And that immediately became the bar for us, where the question was: what will be our next step?”