How the Dutch Use Architecture to Feed the World

Tech-savvy farmers use hydroponic systems and geothermal energy to produce high yields using limited resources. 

Due to a controlled indoor environment, Dutch greenhouses use 1:1 gallons of water per pound of tomatoes produced, compared to the 25.6-gallon global average.

• Double-glazed roofs allow for the retention of heat.
• Light modular steel frames allow for expansion.
• Some operators make use of the CO2 from a local oil refinery to aid plant growth.
• LED lights allow for plants to continue growing throughout the night. This takes into account the Dutch legislation that states that 98% of electric lighting must be contained within the greenhouses.

In the early 2000s, the Dutch made a national commitment to a new form of sustainable agriculture that uses no chemical pesticides and has seen a reduction of antibiotics by 60%.

With new techniques and understanding to feed ever-increasing urban populations, the Netherlands will move further away from the natural, and more towards artificial, industrial, and controlled.