Photo courtesy FrieslandCampina.

The wind farm, which was funded by three member dairy farmers and a team of investors, consists of five wind turbines with a total capacity of 11.5 MW (5x 2.3 MW). The energy generated will be enough to power FrieslandCampina’s production plants at Maasdam and Eindhoven.

FrieslandCampina, a Dutch dairy cooperative based in Amsterdam, is growing in a climate-neutral way. As well as consuming energy more efficiently, the company is also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim is to reduce emissions by 30 percent compared with 1990. FrieslandCampina already draws 40 percent of its electricity requirements in the Netherlands from the green power produced by its own member dairy farmers.

iStock photo

The businesses that CSM plans to sell include its European and North American bakery supplies businesses (excluding Caravan Ingredients), as well as the international bakery supplies activities. Rhône Capital will also acquire the CSM brand name.

In 2012, these businesses had aggregate sales of 2.56 billion euros and 8,220 full-time employees. The transaction is expected to be completed in the third quarter.

“The intended divestment of our bakery supplies businesses is a milestone in the development of the company, and an essential step towards our goal of transforming into a leading supplier of innovative biobased ingredients and solutions,” Gerard Hoetmer, CEO of CSM, said in a statement. “Just as important, as part of Rhône Capital, the bakery supplies businesses, continuing with our highly appreciated workforce, will have more opportunities to develop their strong market positions in Europe and North America, build a strong presence in new markets, and lead the trend towards further industry consolidation.”

Steven Langman, managing director,of Rhône Capital, said in a statement: “We are proud to succeed CSM nv in stewardship of the bakery supplies businesses. We look forward to building on the foundation of the bakery supplies businesses’ product innovation capabilities, valued customer relationships and skilled workforce, and to support existing management in its global growth.”

iStock photo

Betapol® was developed to mimic the unique fat composition and structure of human milk. It is the closest natural match to breast milk fat available, and has become the scientifically substantiated standard for high-quality infant formula.

Among the latest patents to be granted to IOI Loders Croklaan, which is based in the Netherlands, are several that provide worldwide protection for the process currently used in the company’s dedicated Betapol® facilities in Malaysia and the Netherlands.

This process involves the enzymatic acidolysis of a palm stearin component with oleic acid to produce an OPO-type fat. This process is unique to IOI Loders Croklaan.

Other patents recently granted protect many other enzymatic routes for making Betapol®. The patents, divided into three patent families, apply in numerous countries worldwide

“When it comes to products designed for babies, quality assurance is a top priority,” said Dr. Urike Schmid, the company’s Global IP and Regulatory Manager and a European patent attorney. “The new patents we have been granted provide our customers with additional reassurance that the product they buy is genuine and of the consistent quality that they want to provide to those who buy their own products.”

About IOI Loders Croklaan

IOI Loders Croklaan is a leading global integrated supplier of commodity and specialty oils and fats, offering the food industry an unprecedented combination of lipids knowledge and application expertise to respond to their specific needs through operational excellence, vertical integration and technical leadership.

IOI Loders Croklaan has manufacturing facilities in the Netherlands, North America and in Malaysia to serve customers in 65 countries.

iStock photo

The New York Times reported May 12 how the five-ounce hamburger could be cooked and eaten during an event in London in the coming weeks.

It would a milestone in the research taking place in the Netherlands to find alternative ways to produce meat without traditional farming and its side effects on the environment.

The Times writes:

“A 2011 study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, for example, showed that full-scale production of cultured meat could greatly reduce water, land and energy use, and emissions of methane and other greenhouse gases, compared with conventional raising and slaughtering of cattle or other livestock. Those environmental arguments will only gain strength, advocates say, as worldwide demand for meat increases with the rise of middle-class populations in China and elsewhere.”

Dr. Post explains in this video from TEDxBrainport 2011 in Eidenhoven that it is relatively simple to use animal stem cells to grow muscle tissue and create edible meat.

The Dutch government has qualified agro-food as a “top sector,” meaning it gets a priority focus from all public and private stakeholders (business-government knowledge) with joint strategic planning aimed at ambitious societal, sustainable and economical goals.

Read more about it in this brochure:

She and the group of US growers witnessed the expertise of Dutch greenhouse growers, from planting and harvesting to distrubution.

In an April 12, 2013, article, she writes:

Just like in the U.S., peppers and tomatoes are popular greenhouse-grown vegetables in the Netherlands. While participating in Bayer CropScience’s Vegetable Future Forum in Germany in December, American Vegetable Grower had an opportunity to take a short trip to the Netherlands and tour two greenhouses.

Like in the U.S., as well, Dutch greenhouse growers make sure they have a market for their crops, they strive to get a jump on the competition by offering product as early in the season as possible, and they try to keep the use of crop protectants to a minimum.

The first grower the group visited on the tour produced peppers in a 13.5-acre greenhouse. The second operation was growing tomatoes on the stem and plum tomatoes.

Read the entire article.

Dutch horticulture stands for quality, expertise, innovation and sustainability, and the Netherlands is a world leader in greenhouse horticulture. Dutch horticultural products are exported around the world.

Members of AVAG are involved in the design, production and construction of glasshouses, equipment and installations. AVAG members (approx. 70 companies) have gained knowledge and experience through a long process of innovation in the most demanding horticulture market in the world. As a result, the modern Dutch glasshouse is a state of the art production facility for vegetables, flowers and plants.

The Dutch horticulture supply industry works with growers or horticulture markets around the world. Every climate and every crop requires specific solutions in terms of heating or cooling or water and fertilizer management, and the Dutch horticulture supply industry attempts to find individual solutions for each situation.

AVAG unites the top companies in the Dutch supply industry. Most of them are very experienced in exporting horticultural projects, and Dutch greenhouses are found on all continents. AVAG participates in a number of international projects (in Turkey and Kenya for example), promoting the Dutch horticulture supply industry and, at the same time, supporting local horticulture sectors.

A group of AVAG members have joined forces under the name of HortiX, a multidisciplinary team of companies that are ideally suited to each other. HortiX partners are working on projects around the world, each one tailored to local conditions.

Over the years, AVAG has initiated and contributed to activities in various fields. Key examples include:

• Developing and ‘maintaining’ Green Label funds; AVAG is a member of the Board of Experts
• Developing and funding the Greenhouse of the Future at the 2002 Floriade horticultural show
• Promoting the establishment of Dutch and European glasshouse construction standards
• Consulting with the Health and Safety Inspectorate, the Dutch Organization for Agriculture and Horticulture (LTO Nederland) and organizations of subcontractors, consultancy firms and insurers with regard to safety and working conditions in the glasshouse construction sector
• Consulting with all parties regarding safe and efficient glasshouse repairs, resulting in the Covenant on Safety and Repairs in Glasshouse Construction
• Participating in the Foundation for the Co-ordination of Contingency Plans (CCG)
• Participating in the Foundation for the Recognition of the Dutch Glasshouse Construction Sector (SENK) to develop the AVAG quality label

Founded in 1997 with the aim of representing the interests of the Dutch fruit and vegetable sector, DPA influences policy at the national and European level.

The association has 12 members and is located in Breda, the Netherlands.

DPA members are recognized Producer Organizations (POs) in the Netherlands and 85 % of Dutch growers of fruits, vegetables and mushrooms are members of one of the DPA member-POs.

DPA Members include BGB, Fossa Eugenia, FresQ, Fruitmasters, Funghi, Komosa, Nautilus, The Greenery, Versdirect.nl, Veiling Zaltbommel, Veiling Zuid-Limburg, ZON fruit & vegetables.

Activities both nationally and internationally

DPA represents its members’ interests at the national government in The Hague and at the European Commission in Brussels. Many of the regulations and legislation confronting the sector are decided upon and implemented at the EU level. These may relate to the so-called Common Market Organization, but food safety, the harmonization of legislation and commercial policy matters also receive much attention.

In The Hague

At national level, intensive contacts are maintained with authorities and institutes including the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, The Product Board Horticulture, the Quality Control Bureau and other sector organizations.

In Brussels

Close contacts are maintained with the European agricultural lobby organization COPA-COGECA, various Directorate Generals of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the WTO, Freshfel and with organizations similar to DPA in other EU countries.

The greenhouse complex consists of 11 separate research department—each about 1.000m2. It offers testing of cultivation processes for horticulture under perfect conditions. Through experimentation, it is possible to estimate the effect that specific techniques, products and innovations may have on a larger scale in a production greenhouse. In this way, major risks can be avoided.

Companies from the horticulture sector involved in technical and cultivation areas may use this practical centre by becoming a participant. As a participant, they can experiment with and do research on products and procedures in a protected practical environment.

Participants who use the services of the Improvement Centre are primarily technical producers of horticulture products, suppliers and parties who are active in (cultivation) technical experiments. The practical centre is also valuable to cultivation societies for vegetables and flowers, cultivation companies and large nurseries.

Each participant has a subscription which provides them with the right to conduct research, tests and demonstrations in the Improvement Centre, either individually or with other parties.