High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam : An Actor Network Analysis

The agriculture and horticulture sector in the Netherlands is one of the most productive in the world. Although the sector is one of the most advanced and intense agricultural production systems worldwide, it faces challenges, such as climate change and environmental and social unsustainability of industrial production. To overcome these challenges, alternative food production initiatives have emerged, especially in large cities such as Amsterdam. Some initiatives involve producing food in the urban environment, supported by new technologies and practices, so-called high-tech urban agriculture (HTUA). These initiatives make cultivation of plants inside and on top of buildings possible and increase green spaces in urban areas. The emerging agricultural technologies are creating new business environments that are shape d by technology developers (e.g., suppliers of horticultural light emitting diodes (LED) and control environment systems) and developers of alternative food production practices (e.g., HTUA start-ups). However, research shows that the uptake of these technological innovations in urban planning processes is problematic. Therefore, this research analyzes the barriers that local government planners and HTUA developers are facing in the embedding of HTUA in urban planning processes, using the city of Amsterdam as a case study. This study draws on actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze the interactions between planners, technologies, technology developers and developers of alternative food production practices. Several concepts of ANT are integrated into a multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions (MLP) to create a new theoretical framework that can explain how interactions between technologies and planning actors transform the incumbent social\u2013technical regime. The configuration of interactions between social and material entities in technology development and adoption processes in Amsterdam is analyzed through the lens of this theoretical framework. The data in this study were gathered by tracing actors and their connections by using ethnographic research methods. In the course of the integration of new technologies into urban planning practices, gaps between technologies, technology developers, and planning actors have been identified. The results of this study show a lacking connection between planning actors and technology developers, although planning actors do interact with developers of alternative food production practices. These interactions are influenced by agency of artefacts such as visualizations of the future projects. The paper concludes that for the utilization of emerging technologies for sustainability transition of cities, the existing gap between technology developers and planning actors needs to be bridged through the integration of technology development visions in urban agendas and planning processe

The Cultural Landscape & Heritage Paradox; Protection and Development of the Dutch Archeological-Historical Landscape and its European Dimension

To what extent can we know past and mainly invisible landscapes, and how we can use this still hidden knowledge for actual sustainable management of landscape’s cultural and historical values. It has also been acknowledged that heritage management is increasingly about ‘the management of future change rather than simply protection’. This presents us with a paradox: to preserve our historic environment, we have to collaborate with those who wish to transform it and, in order to apply our expert knowledge, we have to make it suitable for policy and society. The answer presented by the Protection and Development of the Dutch Archaeological-Historical Landscape programme (pdl/bbo) is an integrative landscape approach which applies inter- and transdisciplinarity, establishing links between archaeological-historical heritage and planning, and between research and policy. This is supported by two unifying concepts: ‘biography of landscape’ and ‘action research’. This approach focuses upon the interaction between knowledge, policy and an imagination centered on the public. The European perspective makes us aware of the resourcefulness of the diversity of landscapes, of social and institutional structures, of various sorts of problems, approaches and ways forward. In addition, two related issues stand out: the management of knowledge creation for landscape research and management, and the prospects for the near future. Underlying them is the imperative that we learn from the past ‘through landscape’

Onderzoek naar de mogelijkheden om via de voeding de methaan- en ammoniakemissie te verminderen op een aantal praktijkbedrijven in de buurt van Wanroij

Op een vijftal melkveehouderij bedrijven in de buurt van Wanroij en Oploo is het effect van voedingsmaatregelen op de methaan- en ammoniakemissie nader bekekenbekeken. De bedrijven voerden verschillende hoeveelheden gras- en snijmaïskuil, variërend van alleen graskuil tot alleen snijmaïskuil als ruwvoer in het rantsoe

Voluntary intake and in vivo digestibility of forages from semi-natural grasslands in dairy cows

To study in vivo digestibility of forages from semi-natural grasslands two experiments were carried out. In the first experiment lactating dairy cows were offered three different silage-based diets. Silage originated from intensively managed grassland (IM), extensively managed species-poor grassland (SPP), or extensively managed species-rich grassland (SPR). In the second experiment lactating dairy cows were offered IM or a diet in which part of the IM had been replaced by 20% SPP (20SPP), 60% SPP (60SPP) or 60% SPR (60SPR). Intake was significantly lowest on diets with SPP, but intake on diets with SPR was not significantly lower than intake on IM. In both experiments gross energy and in vivo digestibility of organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre were highest for IM. In the first experiment SPP had a significantly higher digestibility than SPR, but in the second experiment differences in digestibility between 60SPP and 60SPR were not statistically significant. In both experiments in vivo digestibility was almost similar to in vitro digestibility, but no suitable equation could be found to estimate in vitro or in vivo digestibility from the chemical composition. Although digestibility and crude protein content were significantly lower for SPR than for SPP, intake of digestible organic matter appeared to be higher. It was concluded that there appears to be more scope for silage from extensively managed species-rich than for silage from extensively managed species-poor grasslan

Intergenerational support among migrant families in Europe

Intergenerational support is important throughout the individual life course and a major mechanism of cultural continuity. In this study, we analyse support between older parents and their adult children among international migrant and non-migrant populations in North, Centre and Southern Europe. Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe are used to compare upward and downward practical support, grandparenting, and frequency of contact among 62,213 parent–child dyads. Findings indicate limited differences in support between migrants and non-migrants as well as between migrants of various origins. However, persistent differences in intergenerational support across Europe along a north–south gradient are found irrespective of migrant status

Naar een nieuwe Na-behoefte norm voor melkvee en verantwoorde Na-bemesting op grasland

Natrium is van invloed op de smakelijkheid van gras en daarmee op de grasopname en mogelijk ook op de melkproductie. Uit buitenlandse literatuur blijkt dat de drogestof opname het hoogst is bij een Na-gehalte tussen 2,5 – 5,5 g per kg ds, wat fors hoger is dan de fysiologische behoefte. Onder Nederlandse omstandigheden zijn echter geen experimentele gegevens voorhanden over de optimale Na-gehalten van gras. Anderzijds is het huidige bemestingsadvies verouderd, omdat dat alleen rekening houdt met de K- en Na-toestand van de grond, terwijl bekend is dat ook de bemesting met N, K, Na en Mg en de Mg-toestand van invloed kan zijn op het Na-gehalte in gras. Door rekening te houden met multi-nutriënt interacties kan een meer op maat Na-advies worden ontwikkeld waar mee gericht is te sturen op een gewenst Na-gehalte in gras. NMI en ASG hebben in een gezamenlijke studie in opdracht van Productschap Zuivel daarop onderzoek uitgevoerd i) voor de ontwikkeling van een nieuw Na-bemestingsadvies op basis van monitoring en praktijkproeven en ii) voor het bepalen van het optimale Na-gehalte in gras voor een maximale grasopname via een gerichte voederproef

Dairy cow performance on silage from semi-natural grassland

The effects of including forage from semi-natural grassland in the diet of dairy cows were studied in a feeding trial with cows in mid-lactation. Diets were compared in which part of the silage from intensively managed grassland was replaced with 0% (100IM), 20% (20SPP), 40% (40SPP) or 60% (60SPP) silage from species-poor semi-natural grassland or with 60% silage from species-rich semi-natural grassland (60SPR). On a dry matter basis, the total mixed ration (TMR) contained 63% grass silage, 18% maize silage and 19% concentrates. Concentrates were either low or high in protein to prevent protein surpluses or shortages. High producing cows were offered additional concentrates in concentrate boxes. The additional concentrates had the same composition as the concentrates in the TMR. With the 60SPP diet voluntary daily intake decreased by 1.4 kg DM cow−¹ day−¹. Uncorrected milk production was the same for all diets, but milk fat yield was lower with the 60SPP diet and milk protein yield lower with the 60SPR diet than with the other diets. No statistically significant differences in fat and protein corrected milk production were observed between the 100IM and the 20SPP diet. The fat and protein corrected milk production with the other diets was significantly lower than with 100IM. All cows gained body weight, but there were no statistically significant differences between diets. In conclusion, if used in low quantities (< 40%), silage from semi-natural grassland can be included in the diet of lactating dairy cows without reducing production. This conclusion is based on the presented results and cannot be generalized