Last week, Piet Adema, the Dutch minister of Agriculture, Nature, and Fisheries, visited the province of Flevoland. There, he went to companies like Andela Techniek & Innovation, Van der Wekken Landbouw, and Waterman Onions.
"We represent Flevoland as an innovation driver regarding sustainable food cultivation. Our province is unique; it has the Netherlands' largest organic acreage. We also have plenty of fresh water available. So, there's every opportunity to grow and process locally," says Erik Waterman.
During the visit, Minister Adema got to see, among other things, Andela Techniek's weeding robot used in organic cultivation. Last year, Poppe Agriculture and Waterman Onions joined forces in BioQrops. Together, they have 250 hectares of organic crops. If the country wants to move toward the desired organic growth rates, automation is the only way. That's why this province is at the forefront, deploying a prototype weeding robot. "A nice bit of chain cooperation."
This year, Waterman wants to become the first 100% energy-neutral onion processor/exporter. "We use 10,000 solar panels and a wind turbine to generate all our power sustainably. We dry the onions with huge heat pumps. Our internal transport is already completely electric, and we'll soon start trialing a 100% electric truck for deliveries, too," Erik explains.
Waterman Onions also looked at alternate modalities to supply and deliver their goods. For example, a waterway between Vlissingen, Rotterdam, and Lelystad has been developed together with the French fries factory McCain. This Joint Corridor combines forces, eliminates the need to move empty containers around, and actively supports sustainability. This French Fries-Onion Express will save 3,000 tons of CO2 annually.
Waterman's sustainability goals can be seen in its efforts to add value to its byproducts. Faiafood, for instance, makes new innovative products from residual production streams. "We grow, process, and package our own products, so we're flexible and can respond quickly to new flavor combinations, product uses, and customer requests," Erik concludes enthusiastically. Naturally, Minister Adema had a Faia ginger shot during his visit.
For more information:
Waterman Onions
12 Hannie Schaftweg
8304 AR, Emmeloord, NL
Tel: +31 (0) 527 617 496
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.waterman-onions.nl
Faiafood
22 Transportweg
2991 LV, Barendrecht, NL
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.faiafood.com