Sponsors & Partners

Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

Dutch breakthrough in global food supply

In 2016 the Dutch government commissioned a study into salt-tolerant crops. This research project has resulted in the discovery that specific varieties of, for example, potatoes, carrots, red onions, white cabbage and broccoli thrive on saline soil, provided they are cultivated, irrigated and fertilized in a specific way. Truly an innovation since food production on salinized soil has always been considered impossible. With these discovered methods and the use of specific crops huge areas of salinized soil become available for growing food, all around the world: an important breakthrough in food security.

Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality Carola Schouten: "Worldwide around one billion hectares of farmland is considered non-arable due to salinization. With the knowledge, we now have about cultivation methods and selecting salt-tolerant crops, this farmland can be used to produce food. Many countries simply need this knowledge in order to produce. Hence, we support the start-up of an institute that makes sure this knowledge is shared worldwide. A major contribution to global food security!"