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Bakker, J.C.

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The do's and don'ts of realising a greenhouse project

Wageningen Yield 

36
THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF 
REALISING A GREENHOUSE 
PROJECT
By Sjaak Bakker, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture
Worldwide protected cultivation can offer sustain-
able solutions that are suitable for ‘local for local production’. 
Successfully realising a new greenhouse horticulture 
project involves several steps. Practical examples at Rijk 
Zwaan and Olij Rozen illustrate the main factors for success: 
A clear definition of the goals of the project and adapting the 
system to individual demands and local preconditions. 
A growing global population and the eﬀects of urbanisation 
demand eﬃcient local production of suﬃcient food. Protected 
cultivation can play an important part in this process, and the 
Netherlands has all the required knowledge in-house. Greenport 
Holland International (GHI) serves as a business portal for the 
Dutch horticulture sector in the international market. 
Adapt to local conditions
Many recent international greenhouse horticulture projects have 
been unsuccessful. “The cause can often be found in insuﬃcient 
preparation and the application of Dutch technology in an 
environment that is very diﬀerent to that in the Netherlands,” 
Harm Maters of GHI explained. Martin Steentjes of Van der
Hoeven, Horticultural Projects, and Frans van de Sande of Rijk 
Zwaan agree. They have learned in practice that adapting to 
local conditions is a key condition for the successful applica-
tion of Dutch horticultural knowledge and technology.
Clear wishes
The basis for realising a successful greenhouse horticulture project 
anywhere in the world is a well-deﬁned starting point: What does 
one want to produce and for whom? The answer will help determine 
the preconditions of the location regarding climate, infrastructure 
and the availability of factors such as energy, water and labour.
 
Once the preconditions have been determined, the plan 
should be further reﬁned; from country to region and ﬁnally 
to the exact location. Using the networks of the Dutch 
embassy and working with reliable local partners are essential 
factors for acquiring the necessary licenses. After all, a good 
starting position determines the chance of success.
Realising turnkey solutions
When all choices have been deﬁned, it is recommended to 
work with a turnkey builder and jointly design a develop-
ment plan. It is also important to call in specialist cultivation 
knowledge from the start of the design process and when 
determining how to technically realise the greenhouse and 
work space. A speciﬁc project manager and technical expert 
on-site will ensure that everything goes according to plan. 
A major pitfall in many previous projects was the assumption 
that the planned project would automatically run without any 
problems from the outset. It is therefore important to ensure 
that a local maintenance crew is present from the delivery to 
the end of the entire project. Following these best practices will 
increase the chance of Dutch horticulture projects succeeding. 
Partners in this HortiSeminar: Greenport Holland International,  
Van der Hoeven Horticultural Projects, Rijk Zwaan
BUSINESS PRACTICES


The do's and don'ts of realising a greenhouse project

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