Ample and successful participation of Dutch companies at the Expo Agrofuturo fair
Within the EXPO AGROFUTURO fair, a Dutch Pavilion was organized by the LAN Office in Colombia and the Dutch-Colombian Chamber of Commerce – Holland House Colombia. Companies and knowledge centers came together to show the latest advances in the Dutch agricultural sector. This fair is considered one of the main stages of the agri-food sector in Latin America, where Dutch companies exhibited technologies such as food production in controlled environments, the labeling of products with biodegradable materials and technological improvements for post-harvest handling. The companies that participated in the Dutch pavilion were Bio4life, Aweta, Broekema, Amstel Agro, CRV, Rijk Zwaan, Van Vliet, GreenTech, Hortifuturo and Hotraco.
The Dutch participation was enlarged with the partaking of speakers within the academic agenda of EXPO AGROFUTURO. GreenTech, organizers of one of the most important food fairs in the Netherlands, participated in the Agrotalks with the talk called "Sharing knowledge to empower producers". The Hortifuturo project, initiated by LAN Andes and financed by RVO also had an Agrotalk, where the advances to develop and consolidate the potential of the horticultural sector in Colombia were socialized. The Dutch delegation was completed with renowned academics, such as Professor Marcel Dicke from Wageningen University and Research, who participated in the panel "Alternative feeds for more profitable and sustainable livestock farming" presenting his insights on insects production for animal feed.
For Léontine Crisson, Agricultural Counselor of the Dutch Embassy in Bogotá, "Colombia is a country with great potential in terms of agriculture, where projects related to efficient water management and biodiversity conservation through circular economy are priority issues for our work in the country”. In this sense, the Dutch companies invited to the fair ratify their commitment with the development of Colombian agriculture by promoting the development of small, medium and large producers in Colombia through technologies adapted to local needs. With the Embassy’s support, the Dutch companies expressed their will to continue providing sustainable solutions for rural development and overcome the current food systems’ crisis aggravated by the rise in prices of inputs and fertilizers.
These initiatives are part of the commitment of the Dutch Embassy with the aim of promoting innovation, sustainability and circularity in the agri-food sector. The Netherlands aims to be a reliable partner for the country in the agricultural sector. In addition, as part of its commitment to rural development in the country, the pavilion was designed and built with 410 market baskets that will be donated to tomato producers in Ráquira, Boyacá. With this, 90% of the entire stand will be recycled, in line with the circular economy vision that characterizes the Netherlands.
If you want to know more about the projects and activities of the Netherlands Embassy in Colombia, please contact us through the email: BOG-LNV@minbuza.nl