About

The Erasmus Horticulture and Food Centre connects academics, entrepreneurs and social organisations to jointly develop and disseminate new knowledge and innovations in the field of horticulture and food production. In this way, it contributes to strengthening the leading position of the Netherlands in this field.

Innovation in general is about the development and implementation of new products, services, processes and business models. In horticulture it is also about changes in systems of growing plants and managerial changes required to support such changes. There are many recent examples of innovations in horticulture:

• Biological pest control (insects eating other insects)
• The application of drones in pest control
• Honey tomatoes
• Recycling of wastewater for watering plants
• New energy systems: geothermal energy, CHP installations (combined production of CO2, heat and electricity)
• Autonomous growing
• Indoor farming, urban farming
• Application of genetics in breeding processes