Interview with DGD CEO Mirjam Boekestijn

We are a foundation that represents the Dutch horticulture industry, promoting its strengths on an international scale. Together with our partners, we are offering an integrated Fork2Farm solution that includes a complete ecosystem including technology, know-how and governmental liaisons. Our footprint spreads across China, South Est Asia, India, as well as the Gulf and the “-stan” countries (e.g. Kazakhstan). We are mainly focused on developing markets, where we are trying to open new opportunity doors and introduce the Dutch greenhouse model as an alternative farming standard. Besides our Netherlands headquarters, we also have a local presence (in the countries in our portfolio) through which we are establishing relations with growers, investors, policy makers and retailers. As a greenhouse construction company on its own would have found it more difficult to conquer new geographies on its own, but this ecosystem model allows us to expand further, faster. Given that we are a one-stop shop, we aim to not only provide companies with concrete elements (like seeds, fertilizers, building insights, infrastructure, etc.) but also with an in-depth knowledge base.

How has the reception been like, up to this point, and to what extent are these solutions being instituted? 

The pandemic, the current geopolitical context and the ensuing energy crisis have slowed down the adoption of these new solutions, but we believe that these challenges have the potential to be turned into future opportunities. We are closely working with public (e.g. embassies, consulates, national and regional governments) and private parties, in the Netherlands, and abroad, to help bring more awareness about the benefits of protected horticulture. In China, India and the Gulf region we are working in a Partners for International Business (PIB) program, which is a type of consortium (comprised of governments and private players) that supports promotion through trade missions, exhibitions, seminars, exchange knowledge through the knowledge-to-knowledge program and is present locally via liaisons. We play a role in the primary pre-business development phase, and as soon as every detail is in place, our partners are taking over to further develop the business.

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Photo: Mirjam Boekestijn

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