In Residency with Mariette van Leeuwen
On Wednesday, 27 of august, 2025, representatives of the sector, together with Deputy Mariëtte van Leeuwen from the Province of South Holland, visit Koppert, a global leader in biological crop protection. The company, founded in South Holland, supports growers worldwide in transitioning to cultivation methods without chemical pesticides.
During the guided tour with Peter Maes, several pressing topics shaping the future of sustainable horticulture are discussed. Central to the conversation is the global shift toward more biological vegetable production. While certain chemical crop protection products are rapidly being phased out, the approval process for biological alternatives in Europe remains slow, whereas adoption in continents such as South America is moving much faster.
Mariette note that the Netherlands has the opportunity to take a leading role internationally, provided bureaucratic barriers are reduced and the sector works together as one voice. A key conclusion from the discussion is that horticulture needs a united voice toward the government to accelerate this transition.
Koppert demonstrates that fully biological cultivation is within reach, currently running over 21 pilot projects in which growers prove the feasibility of biological crop protection in practice.
The visit is inspiring and insightful, strengthening confidence in a sustainable future for the horticulture sector. Special thanks go to Koppert, the Province of South Holland, and Deputy Van Leeuwen for supporting this important dialogue.
Where we left off last August, we’re happy to pick up the thread again. On the 12th and 13th of February we headed back into the field together with Mariëtte van Leeuwen to continue the conversation about food, systems and the future of our sector. What started months ago around a kitchen table once again turned into two days full of insights, visits and honest discussions about how we move from individual initiatives to real system change.
From the kitchen table to system change! A recap of the final day of the Eatthis In Residence with Mariëtte van Leeuwen and Provincie Zuid-Holland.
Day one of the Eatthis In Residence ended also in the Westland, starting not in a boardroom but at a kitchen table. Mariëtte stayed with Nico Ammerlaan, head grower at Tomatoworld, and his wife Marlène, a nurse at Reinier de Graaf ziekenhuis. During dinner, full of veggies, it was good to reflect on the day and have conversations on passion, work and the future of food.
The next morning, the programme moved back into the field.
At Harvest House and Food Fellows, the focus was on zero waste. Surplus vegetables are processed into sauces and soups, without added sugars or preservatives. One uncomfortable insight stood out: in today’s system, it is often cheaper to discard vegetables than to process them. That reality raises fundamental questions about how incentives are organised. Thanks Walle Van Kammen for the nice visit! 🍅
At Lely together with Henk Van Dongen, the conversation shifted to regenerative agriculture and the link between soil health and human health. If soil determines product quality, then food truly becomes part of the healthcare debate. The transition requires experimentation, long term thinking and the courage to challenge existing rules.
Then to Rijk Zwaan, innovation in breeding took centre stage. Denise and Meta showed us that disease resistance, AI and data driven research are shaping future varieties. At the same time, strong attention to people and long term careers showed that innovation is also cultural.
The day concluded at BoereGoed, a social greenhouse built around regional food and healthy choices. Here, food, inclusion and community come together in a very practical way. And thanks to Gert for his endless enthusiasm!
And that concluded the final day of diving into the food system with Eatthis. We thank Mariëtte van Leeuwen and her team at Provincie Zuid-Holland for the time, interesting discussions and enthusiasm for the sector.
Let’s move forward, together!