Lack of transparency breeds distrust
Photographer and filmmaker Kadir van Lohuizen has spent the past few years exploring the global food industry. Along the way, he also got to know the Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector. His understanding of — and admiration for — the industry has grown ever since. Still, he remains surprised by how closed off many companies are to the outside world. “The sector would only benefit from becoming more transparent.”
Text: Jacco Strating
Photography: Diane van der Marel
Kadir van Lohuizen has long been a familiar name to many in horticulture and beyond. With his TV series, book and exhibition ‘Food for Thought’, he has given everyone a unique look behind the scenes of companies in the food industry in recent years. Because where does our food actually come from? Van Lohuizen has travelled the world, knocked on many doors and regularly gained access to places that consumers do not usually visit. And he did not skip the Netherlands. At the invitation of the Eat This platform, Van Lohuizen became acquainted with greenhouse horticulture. “They invited me to come and see for myself for a few days how things work in this sector. Eat This literally opened doors for me and that introduction has undoubtedly contributed to a positive image of greenhouse horticulture.”
Climate and surroundings
But let’s take a step back. Who exactly is Kadir van Lohuizen?
“I’m a photographer and journalist by trade — I’ve been doing this since 1988. I’ve reported on various conflicts around the world, often in Africa and the Middle East, many of which no longer made front-page news. Over time, these projects became more in-depth, and I began to explore how they relate to what’s happening with our climate, environment, and ecosystems. Because I saw that many of these conflicts were linked to access to land and clean drinking water.”
Van Lohuizen made a name for himself with a project on rising sea levels.
“I wanted to show that this isn’t something looming in the distant future — it’s already happening in many regions. That’s when I discovered how farmers are struggling with salinization of their soil.”
He also worked on a project about global waste streams, and saw firsthand just how much food is thrown away worldwide.
“Everyone knows food waste is a problem, but when you’re confronted with the actual volumes, it hits harder.”
All of this sparked a deeper interest in food.
“I realised I no longer had any idea where my food actually comes from — and that’s how the idea for a deep dive into the food industry was born.”
Sometimes shocking
Food for Thought was launched — though Van Lohuizen admits he underestimated what he was getting into.
“It was, at times, shockingly difficult to gain access to companies. I expected slaughterhouses to be a challenge, but I didn’t think it would be hard to enter a greenhouse. In the beginning, everything felt complicated.”
Starting this project in the middle of the COVID pandemic didn’t help. Then came the farmers’ protests in the Netherlands, and suspicion toward Van Lohuizen increased.
“Many agricultural sectors don’t have a warm relationship with journalists. People assumed I was looking for controversy — but that was never my goal. Eventually, things worked out. Persistence pays off, I guess. But it did make me reflect.”
Van Lohuizen explains that he grew up in a different world than today’s.
“I’m from the era of seasonal vegetables. You got your bread from the bakery, meat from the butcher. I’d never even tasted a mango or an avocado. These days, it’s all about convenience. I once visited a vegetable processing plant and wondered whether kids even know what an uncut endive looks like — or how a tomato grows. We’re all obsessed with food, but not in that way. Most people have no idea where their food actually comes from — and I think we should know.”
Keeping the conversation going
In his VPRO television series, as well as in his book and photo exhibition at Amsterdam’s Maritime Museum, Van Lohuizen simply showed what he saw.
“I refrained from commentary and let people draw their own conclusions. In hindsight, that was the right decision. Had I been more outspoken, people would have labelled me. Now, the conversation continues — and that’s what really matters.”
That doesn’t mean Van Lohuizen had no opinions along the way. “Sure, I had moments of shock and others of admiration. But sharing my personal views wouldn’t add much. What I have spoken out about is the need for transparency. It was sometimes so hard to get access that I started becoming suspicious myself — wondering what they were trying to hide. But nine out of ten times, there was nothing to hide at all.”
In horticulture, Van Lohuizen found more admiration than alarm.
“Take the energy crisis, for example. This sector took rapid steps to become more sustainable and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Most people don’t know that. It would really help if the industry opened its doors more often. Transparency wouldn’t hurt.”
Marketing also plays a big role, he notes.
“We’re constantly reassured that everything is fine — but that’s not always the case. The happy hens on egg cartons rarely reflect reality. So perhaps there’s also a fear that I might show things that clash with the marketing image.”
Nuance and contradictions
In the case of greenhouse horticulture, the invitation from Eat This really made a difference, says Van Lohuizen.
“I’m a visual storyteller, and I need time. Eat This gave me that time — the chance to explore greenhouses more thoroughly and observe the processes at work.”
That experience certainly left him with a more positive impression of the sector — though he still raises a few questions.
“Are the enormous export volumes from the Netherlands really sustainable? Should we even want that? I also found it strange that all the tomatoes looked the same — perfectly red and round. So much food gets discarded, even though it’s still edible. Yet we’ve created these beauty standards for supermarket produce.”
According to Van Lohuizen, this is why consumers should think more critically about what they eat. At the same time, sectors like horticulture need to stay in dialogue with society — so the challenges can be faced together.
“I haven’t found the one solution yet. We could drastically reduce meat consumption, eat more plant-based food, go back to seasonal produce, and shorten supply chains. There’s plenty on our plate — but the question is: how do we go about it?”
Mutual understanding
Thanks to his access behind the scenes, Van Lohuizen gained more appreciation for farmers and growers.
“We know too little about each other — that’s why transparency is so essential. I’ve learned a lot myself, and I hope visitors to the exhibition will too.”
And not just consumers.
“It’s also good for growers to visit and engage with other sectors — and vice versa. That mutual understanding could be the starting point for real change.”
As for Van Lohuizen himself?
“I think I’ve had my fill of this topic for now,” he says with a smile. “I need a bit of distance. But I wouldn’t rule out returning to this fascinating world in the future.”