Contact:Bert Harms, bert.harms@wur.nl+31 (0)317 481647Madeleine van Mansfeld, madeleine.vanmansfeld@wur.nl+31 (0)6 51762841

Agroparks - an innovative design approach for metropolitan areas

The spatial clustering of different agro-production chains and the spatial combination of agro-processing and non-agro functions enable many prosperous scenarios. It includes not only the production of food, feed, vegetables and fruits, but also of fuels, fibers, fermented products, flowers, fragrances, flavours, functional molecules and pharmaceuticals.

What does Wageningen University & Research Centre offer?

• Integrated approach of chain development and regional development in a creative research by design process

• Detailed expertise in production chains, logistics, processing, environmental aspects and spatial planning

Wageningen UR Agroparks currently is active in several emerging countries, including China, India,Thailand and Vietnam.

The concept of Agroparks is based on the principles of sustainable development.• Environmental benefits through lowering emissions

and waste• Application of principles of industrial ecology, i.e.

mutual use of waste and by-products• Advantages of scale through industrial production

and processing

• Reduction of fossil fuel use and veterinary risks because of reduced transport

• Improved animal comfort, increasing production levels• Independence of season and land by whole year products• Enables chain transparency resulting in better quality

management• Improvement of farmers position as a preferred supplier• Significant reduction of economic costs

Sustainable development

Arjen Simons, arjen.simons@wur.nl+31 (0)6 53576046Peter Smeets, peter.smeets@wur.nl+31 (0)6 51206758

In the last decade landscape architects, urban developers and agrofood technicians have developed new concepts that must enable agrofood-production to take its place in the network metropoles of the 21th century. Metropolitan agriculture is the knowledge driven, complex network of agro production, processing, trade and logistics that has been developing in and around the nodes of the global network since 1970. The expertise and lessons learned by the Northwestern European agro sector can be used in other metropolitan areas in the world to create regional specific forms of innovating metropolitan agriculture.

Growth and projected growthurban (red) and rural (green) population

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

1950 1975 2000

8

9

Popu

latio

n (b

in)

Time

USEU Canada

Oceania

Argentina

China NE-Asia

E-Europe

World

Brasil Mercosur

Carib.

Sub Africa

Mid-East

FSO

C-Amerika

India

N-AfricaSE-Asia

600

500

400

300

200

100

05.000 10.000 15.000 20.000 25.000 30.000 35.000

of world popolation have incomes below $ 5.000Total Daily Maet & Fish Calories Consumend by Income

0Annual Income Per Capita

Tota

l Dai

ly M

eat &

Fis

h Ca

lorie

sCo

nsum

ed p

er C

apita

83%

Meat consumtion grows fastest where income is less than $ 5.000 per yearand growing: Asia, Africa and South America

2025

Urbanization and agriculture The world is urbanizing. In the next few years more

than half the world population will be living in cities.

Many of these cities are typical Delta metropoles

usurping the space most suited for agricultural

production. The distinction between urban and

rural areas within the metropoles is vanishing. In

this situation reliable food-chains that provide fresh

products are becoming of strategic importance.

The Agropark concept

An Agropark is a systems innovation of metropolitan agro production, processing and logistics. As part of an Intelligent Agrologistic Network, it enables a demand driven combination and integration of various agricultural activities.

The Agropark fits in a network containing three vital appearances:• Rural Transformation Centre: combining

collection and storage of farmers products with rural development services

• Agro Production and Processing Park: combining production, processing, collection, R&D, trade and social functions. An Agropark delivers its products throughout the year as independent as possible from season and land

• Consolidation Centre: serves a metropolitan market in a consumer responsive way throughout the year. Seasonal products not available from local producers are being supplied from storage or by trade

This network is an Intelligent Agrologistic Network. It is not only a new perspective of metropolitan agriculture but it also offers access to markets for existing farmers.

Meat consumption increases with welfare

Intelligent Agrologistic Networks combining Consolidation Centres, Agroparks and Rural Transformation Centres.

An Agropark with components of production, processing, trade, demonstration, R&D, capacity building and social functions, delivers its products throughout the whole year as efficient as possible, independent of season and land.

City 10m+ population by 1980

City 10m+ population by 1990

City 10m+ population by 2000

Metropolitan Delta

Metropolis

More than 10 million population by decade

Rural Transformation

Centre

Agroproductionand Processing

Park

Consolidation Centre

Buenos Aires

Rio de JaneiroSao Paulo

Los Angeles

Los Angeles

New York

Rio de Janeiro

Lagos

Cairo

Mumbai

Beijing SeoulTokyo

Osaka

Manilla

Shangha

DahkaDelhi

Kolkata

Karachi

Jarkata

New York

Mumbai

SeoulTokyo

Osaka

ManillaKolkata

Buenos Aires

RuralTransformation

Centre

Agropark

Modern farm clustersgreen houses

livestock farmsmushroom nursery FP zones

Commercialcomplex

Commissaries &packaging

Convention centerIT / library

training center

Agro tourismwellness &nutrition

R&Dincubation

QCL

Agribusinessmgt. trg. inst.

Terminal marketslogistics

Cold storesripening chambers

warehousing

Socialinfrastructure

Utilities &services

R&D

Trade

Production Processing

Socia

l

RuralTransformation

Centre

RuralTransformation

Centre

RuralTransformation

Centre

Population growthneeds rise inagricultural productivity