"Integrate health, horticulture, agriculture, ecology, and energy. Redesign the whole food system and create shared value on all aspects." That true triple helix is what worldwide horticulture exporter Rob Baan firmly believes in. He is critical of the Dutch government as it doesn't deliver its part in the helix.
Rob Baan, the Steve Jobs of Dutch Horticulture
Rob Baan (Haarlem, 1956) is the owner of Koppert Cress, a producer of micro vegetables. He created the company in 2002. His cresses - sprout vegetables - are used globally by the world's leading chefs and restaurants. Koppert Cress has quite a reputation as an innovator in the Dutch greenhouse industry. He was a frontrunner in using LED light. His latest project is harvesting summer sunlight and store it as thermal energy 6.500 feet.
His unusual perspectives define his unique profile in the field of food and health in the Netherlands and far abroad. His personal mission: "Let's look at fresh food and health in a different way."
Koppert Cress
Koppert Cress is on a never-ending quest to find natural, innovative plants, herbs, fruits and weed that chefs can use to surprise their customers. They intensify taste, make both beautiful and tasty presentations and offer new experiences (such as a now famous herb that literally electrifies and waters your mouth, first used by Ferran Adriá's famous restaurant El Bulli in Roses at the Spanish Costa Brava.) An international network of biologists, plant experts and gastronomists support a steady flow of new products, that meet the ever higher culinary demands of restaurants around the world. The latest we tasted was a succulent seaweed tasting both oily and crispy and yet fully natural and cultivated to preserve nature form wild harvesters.
Rob Baan (Haarlem, 1956) is the owner of Koppert Cress, a producer of micro vegetables. He created the company in 2002. His cresses - sprout vegetables - are used globally by the world's leading chefs and restaurants. Koppert Cress has quite a reputation as an innovator in the Dutch greenhouse industry. He was a frontrunner in using LED light. His latest project is harvesting summer sunlight and store it as thermal energy 6.500 feet.
His unusual perspectives define his unique profile in the field of food and health in the Netherlands and far abroad. His personal mission: "Let's look at fresh food and health in a different way."
Koppert Cress
Koppert Cress is on a never-ending quest to find natural, innovative plants, herbs, fruits and weed that chefs can use to surprise their customers. They intensify taste, make both beautiful and tasty presentations and offer new experiences (such as a now famous herb that literally electrifies and waters your mouth, first used by Ferran Adriá's famous restaurant El Bulli in Roses at the Spanish Costa Brava.) An international network of biologists, plant experts and gastronomists support a steady flow of new products, that meet the ever higher culinary demands of restaurants around the world. The latest we tasted was a succulent seaweed tasting both oily and crispy and yet fully natural and cultivated to preserve nature form wild harvesters.
The Dutch need to get their act together before even thinking about exporting horticultural expertise. Government must give horticulture its truly important role in greening and feeding cities healthily, stresses Baan. And don't employ imported cheap migrant labor, he continues. Solely exporting expertise – as Adri Bom-Lemstra, president of Greenport West Holland, stated earlier – is not a good idea, he believes. First, it must be part of the bigger picture, as it isn’t only about mechanics and greenhouses. It’s an integral system, combining a largely pesticide free and water scarce way of producing health, a better ecology, and less energy.
Making a healthy generation, that is our license to produceLicence to produce
As a company you need to consider why you do what you do and how that benefits others. Baan is explicit on his license to produce. “My company exists, because we produce something that has health benefits to cities. Making a healthy generation, that is our license to produce.”
If and only if the system functions as a whole, a country has the moral licence to export it. “Now we know how it works. We can show you the impact of healthy food for cities, the ‘why’ for the other country. (See Simon Sinek’s Start with the Why.) We can show them how we can do it technically smart, intensive, and efficient. It is a system, you have to sell it as one. People will love it.”
What is your opinion on Rob Baan's definition of the Triple Helix as a foundation for the food system? Please share your views below.
The triple helix model of Innovation
This model refers to interactions between academia (universities), the industry, and governments. The synergy fosters economic and social development, as described in concepts such as the Knowledge Economy and Knowledge Society. Each sector is represented by a circle (helix), with overlapping interactions. The triple helix innovation framework has been widely adopted and - as applied by policy makers - has contributed to the transformation of each sector.
This model refers to interactions between academia (universities), the industry, and governments. The synergy fosters economic and social development, as described in concepts such as the Knowledge Economy and Knowledge Society. Each sector is represented by a circle (helix), with overlapping interactions. The triple helix innovation framework has been widely adopted and - as applied by policy makers - has contributed to the transformation of each sector.
Europe's Green Deal
At the end of the video Rob Baan and Dick Veerman briefly talk about the European Green Deal, the EU's roadmap to a sustainable economy. The European Committee's ambition is to make it happen by turning climate and environmental challenges into business opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all. Baan would like to engage in a discussion with the Green Deal's architect, his fellow countryman and EU commissioner Frans Timmermans, on integrating food production, nutrition (preventive health policy), ecology, and health.
Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. That is why Europe decided on a new growth strategy that will transform the Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy in which:
there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 economic growth is decoupled from resource use no person and no place is left behind
Mixed Feelings
The Green Deal was presented in December 2019. The European States received the proposal with mixed feelings. The Dutch minister of Agriculture, Carola Schouten, believes the EU wants to interfere too much in policy implementation in national and local contexts. However, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron call for a rapid adoption of the European Green Deal.
A common concern is that the Green Deal is imprecise on how the roadmap should be implemented. Thus, the compliance criteria cannot be clear. That’s where Peter van Bodegom, environmental biologist, comes in. He states that these should be developed clearly and consistently. The Netherlands could play a leading role here, as the country has a real competency in the development of integral modelling.
At the end of the video Rob Baan and Dick Veerman briefly talk about the European Green Deal, the EU's roadmap to a sustainable economy. The European Committee's ambition is to make it happen by turning climate and environmental challenges into business opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all. Baan would like to engage in a discussion with the Green Deal's architect, his fellow countryman and EU commissioner Frans Timmermans, on integrating food production, nutrition (preventive health policy), ecology, and health.
Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. That is why Europe decided on a new growth strategy that will transform the Union into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy in which:
Mixed Feelings
The Green Deal was presented in December 2019. The European States received the proposal with mixed feelings. The Dutch minister of Agriculture, Carola Schouten, believes the EU wants to interfere too much in policy implementation in national and local contexts. However, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron call for a rapid adoption of the European Green Deal.
A common concern is that the Green Deal is imprecise on how the roadmap should be implemented. Thus, the compliance criteria cannot be clear. That’s where Peter van Bodegom, environmental biologist, comes in. He states that these should be developed clearly and consistently. The Netherlands could play a leading role here, as the country has a real competency in the development of integral modelling.
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In Short : Rob is 100% right!
The triple helix model is fantasy. A model that is primarily liked by our research institutes and governments. In the innovation reality, no win-win examples are known.
Rob indirectly talks about land and area development. About integrated design skill sets, show by example.
I'm fan of System designs and business models that work on short and long term. The technical sciences scene (WUR) should never lead such projects or development traject.
Yes our governments play a role internationally but not in the way it is conducted now. I have encountered a lot of “stupidity” in Middle East and Africa and previously in Asia.
Wouter, you sound a bit mysterious. Please clarify: what (kind of) stupidity did you encounter in the Middle East, Africa and Asia?
I don’t think that examples are part of this line. But I will give one: the tendency to advice and financially support greenhouses with theoretical scientists of WUR without practical expertise from real growers, seed producing companies or the greenhouse tech companies. These projects are often the pet project of a local ambassador employee, and have in most cases resulted in lots of irritation from local SMEs. I have multiple times encountered discussion of Venlo greenhouses in warm countries like Egypt, Lebanon or Jordan. Millions of tax payers money wasted. It all started in China, than similar ridiculous projects have run in central Africa, Middle East and now Africa is next. Projects run by scientist funded by RVO, they ALL fail in practice.
Other examples : large milk factories in African countries without dairy farms. Too small avocado purée facilities that stop after a month. Wind parks in the dessert, loans via governments, income for European tech companies, but no SLA. Then lots of discussion about ‘fossils’ water, while our society is addicted to oil (fossiel energy). RVO is now too big, and RVO personeel are now in competition with private entrepreneurs too. Lots of ridiculousness!