The greenhouse factor:Innovative concepts to feed the city

Jan de Wilt InnovationNetwork

Urban Agriculture Summit 29th - 31st Jan 2013Linkoping, Sweden

Content

• InnovationNetwork

• Dutch agriculture and greenhouse sector

• Industrial symbiosis: Agroparks

• Greenhouse as energy source

• Integrating greenhouses and buildings

• Examples of projects

• Develop groundbreaking innovations for agriculture, agribusiness and rural areas

• Bring these innovations into practice as the start of a transition process

Goals

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• Foundation with own board• Main Funder: Ministry of Economic Affairs• Budget € 3.5 million per year• Evaluation every 4 years• Alliance with SIGN (horticulture sector)

Organisation and funding

Dutch greenhouse sector

• Area: ca. 10.000 ha• Located near mainports and cities• Production value: € 5 billion per year• 50% of production value agriculture on 0,5% of surface• 10% of national resources of natural gas used for heating and CO2 supply

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Why urban Farming?

Less transportFresh foodLess pesticidesHigher productionCircular economyEfficient use of space

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Innovation challenges

High costs

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Challenges

• Reduce pressure on environment

• Enhance quality landscape

• Value creation in products

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Agroparks

Clustering

of different agricultural sectors

with non-agricultural sectors

in urbanised areas

and recycling of waste

inside the cluster

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Recycling

CarbondioxdeHeatNutrientsWaterAmmoniaMethane

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CO2

Heat

Manure NPK

BiogasElectricityElectricity

CO2

Feed NPK

PigsHorticulture

Arable farming

Biogas

NPK

Residues

Digester

Agrocenter

Heat

Agropark in harbour area

Glass Pyramid design

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Dutch Pavillion World Expo 2000

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Pig city

MVRDV

Farmyard flats14 November 2000 by Emma Young, New Scientist

A proposal to build a vast, six-storey farm holding pigs, chickens, salmon and crops in Rotterdam is being backed by Dutch agriculture minister, Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst.High-rise farming is the only answer to Holland's pressing space problem, argues Jan De Wilt, who came up with the plan.But the 'Agropark' has been attacked by farmers and animal rights campaigners alike.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn172-farmyard-flats.html

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Criticism on Agroparks

• Large scale• End of the family farm• Alienation food production - society

Greenhouse Village

Integrating greenhouses and buildingsin a decentralised system, providing:• Heating• Electricity• Waste treatment• Clean Water

Greenhouse Village

Energy from biogas

Drinking water

Waste treatment

Cooling and heating

Fine Wire Heat Exchanger (FiWiHex)

Smart skin

Heating

Electricity

Drinking water

Nutriënts

Nitrogen in water

Use of general utilities

% of standard use in greenhouses and houses

Spatial configurations

Integration

Co-existence

Separation

Greenhouse:Buildings:

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Greenhouses in urban areas

The Hague

Rotterdam

Building with Green and Light

• Buildings as energy sources• Better light, more green, better temperature• Clean air

Functions of plants

• Humidify the air• Capture fine dust• Purify the air of contaminants

(o.a. VOS, formaldehyde)• Improving well-being• Reduce noise • Better healing, learning,

working

Agricultural Highschool, Dronten

Villa Flora, Venlo

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Aquaponic High Density Edifice

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PlantLab: Indoor Agriculture

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Plant Production Unit

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Fresh Garden Mall

Tack!

www.innovatienetwerk.org/en/

j.g.de.wilt@innonet.agro.nl