On August 31, Marian Geluk and Gerda Verburg of Next Food Collective visited the province of Zeeland. Invited by FoodDelta Zeeland, their managing director Johan Dourleijn guided them through a jam-packed 'Zeeland Agri & Aqua Food sector' day.
The day provided great insights into the important agri- and aquafood sector in Zeeland. With Zeeland being the largest arable farming province in The Netherlands, with soil, water and a climate suitable for very diverse crops. For example, it is not only the center for sustainable aquaculture but also the largest sustainable protein producing area. With its strategic location, between the two ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, it is home to a very diverse group of agrifood companies.
The day was filled with visits to primary producers as well as the processing industry. The companies along the way varied from seed breeding to fruit and vegetables processing, and from seafood to specialty bakery ingredients. We picked up a lot of information from the various tours and conversations, explored our shared passion for sustainable healthy food and created a firm base for further cooperation in the future.
Thank you Krijn Verwijs, Farmpack, Coroos and Zeelandia for inviting us into your company, the interesting tours and lively discussions on sustainability, food system transitions and healthy food.
We also want to say a special thanks to the organizers and to Klaas Timmermans of NIOZ (Netherlands Institute for Sea Research), Richard Anthonisse of the Province of Zeeland and Peter Bijkerk of Impuls Zeeland for the interesting conversations during lunch and dinner.
"The drive to add value, with innovation, collaboration and sustainability, is a joint drive in which we can strengthen each other”
FoodDelta Zeeland
FoodDelta Zeeland is a food industry network organization with a clear objective to promote innovation-through-collaboration in the production, processing, trade and consumption of food products. Key elements are innovative capability, added value and sustainability. FoodDelta Zeeland is committed to achieving strong growth in the nature, size and positioning of the Zeeland agrifood industry.