GreenTech Amsterdam 2018: The Organic Farmers Fair in the spotlight
Amsterdam, April 24th - With over 450 exhibitors, global market leaders and innovators, GreenTech Amsterdam offers a comprehensive range of horticultural technology. The exhibition – which is 20% bigger than in 2016 – provides a platform for greenhouse builders, (vertical) horticulture suppliers, machine companies, soil & substrate producers, lighting partners and seed suppliers.
New this year is The Organic Farmers Fair (TOFF) that spotlights innovations and knowledge of organic agricultural technology and was organised together with IFOAM, FIBL and their five partners - Bejo, DCM, Steketee, Koppert Biological Systems and Delphy – and with Wageningen University & Research as a supporting partner. TOFF is the international meeting place for organic growers as well as conventional farmers considering switching to organic. GreenTech and TOFF will take place from 12 - 14 June 2018 at RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, the Netherlands.
Organic production is booming
Consumers increasingly value organically grown products; the global market has grown steadily for decades by an average of some 10% per year, to a current level of 100 billion euros. Interest in organic farming is also rising among farmers and horticulturalists due to the expanding market, the good pricing for products and thanks to the solutions this holistic approach offers for soil fertility, non-chemical weed control and the management of diseases and pests.
TOFF in detail – programme and range
Knowledge sharing in the TOFF theatres plays an important role this edition. There the audience can participate in various sessions that discuss the most relevant themes in the field of organic farming. GreenTech will feature speakers including:
- Darko Znaor and Martien Lankester (Avalon) will present the results of a recent study into true cost accounting for organic farming in comparison to conventional production in the Netherlands. Does switching to organic farming really generate more money if you also take the environmental and health costs into account?
- Wijnand Sukkel (WUR) will present the results of and insights provided by multi-year research conducted in the Dutch province of Flevoland. Which advantages does strip cultivation offer with respect to crop resilience, yield and quality? To what extent can this be put into practice by large-scale, professional companies?
- Panel discussion: experts from Bejo, FIBL and other organisations provide their opinion: which techniques should you allow in vegetable seed breeding or not and why? A hot topic in agriculture, politics and definitely also in the organic sector.
- Leonard Mol (Steketee) will discuss Precision weed control and the utility and effect of precision hoeing.
- Koppert Biological systems, Biobest, DCM and knowledge institutions such as WUR and the University of Amsterdam will provide a status update on the latest developments in the field of organic crop protection.
- Organisations such as FIBL, Bionext and LBI will share their insights into the conservation and improvement of soil fertility; one of agriculture’s biggest long-term challenges.
- TOFF On tour - Daily field trips will be organised to Bejo Zaden, Lepelaar Biodynamic Farm Shop and Huiberts Organic Flowerbulbs. For more details: www.greentech.nl/toff/visiting/
Free registration until 5 June
If you wish to attend TOFF, and so GreenTech too, you can register for free until 5 June at www.greentech.nl From that date onwards an online ticket price of € 40 including VAT will apply. On exhibition days tickets can only be purchased from the ticket office for € 70 including VAT.
