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| April 2025 |
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Dear ,
Enjoy reading our newest newsletter.
In this newsletter we introduce two new members to our team, whom we welcomed in the beginning of this year. Their diverse expertise and international experiences broadened HollandDoor's capabilities across various disciplines.
By combining the expertise of our members, and our collaborations with experts in our network, HollandDoor is able to achieve a complete package of expertise and relations in all agriculture and horticulture sectors. Read more to find out which member has the expertise you are looking for and do not hesitate to contact him or her.
Ad, Cedric, Engelie, Geerten, Jan Willem, Jos, Lisanne, Marian, Niek, René.
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Two new members strenghten team HollandDoor
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HollandDoor has decided to strengthen its team with two new members. René Braakman and Jan Willem van de Pol have expertise in various fields.
René has 28 years of experience in the agro and food supply chains. He specializes in developing innovative business models, transforming chain data into actionable insights and driving sustainability. René gained valuable experience in Africa, where he set up organic farming training for smallholder farmers. Read more
Jan Willem brings a lifetime of experience in guiding soft fruit growers. He specializes in the transition from open-field cultivation to soilless production systems. Jan Willem’s expertise includes advising on substrate selection, optimizing water management and addressing the specific needs of different crops and growing conditions. Having worked in Italy for more than 20 years, Jan Willem has supported numerous growers across Southern Europe. Read more
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Connecting horticulture in Moldova and the Netherlands
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HollandDoor is involved in two parallel projects in Moldova. The first project is a scoping study commissioned by the Dutch government, through the Netherlands Enterprise Agency ( RVO) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moldova. It aims to identify the challenges and needs of the Moldovan fruit and vegetable sector, while also pinpointing opportunities for sector development and potential collaboration with Dutch stakeholders. The second project is a technical training programme tailored to the vegetable industry, commissioned by the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA). Both projects share the overarching goal of modernizing the fruit and vegetable sector and enhancing its competitiveness.
Moldova boasts a rich horticultural heritage but remains a relatively small player in the global fruit trade. With its increasing alignment with the European Union, Moldova is presented with new opportunities for business growth and collaboration. The Netherlands, alongside other European countries and Japan, possesses the expertise, advanced technologies and networks necessary to support Moldova in improving the productivity and quality of its horticultural sector.
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Romanian cooperatives learn from best practices in Western
Europe
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The National Union of Cooperatives in the Vegetable Sector ( UNCSV) brings together the majority of cooperatives in Romania’s arable crops sector. These cooperatives are relatively young, and many still struggle with the ongoing challenges of the post-Soviet era, when cooperatives did not have a positive reputation. To support its members in becoming business-oriented and market-driven organizations, UNCSV launched a project under the European Erasmus+ programme.
As one of the project partners, HollandDoor helped kick off the initiative in February 2025 with a week-long programme in Denmark. Over 20 chairpersons, board members and operational staff from Romanian cooperatives producing crops such as cereals, oilseeds and potatoes participated in the programme. The participants gained valuable insights into the fundamentals of cooperative operations.
HollandDoor will continue to be one of the driving forces in this project in the coming year. Follow-up sessions are planned in the Netherlands later this year and in Germany in early 2026.
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Romanian delegation gains insights into Spanish
cooperatives
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HORT INTEGRA is a branch union that unites a significant number of Romanian cooperatives in the fruit and vegetable sector. Under the European Erasmus+ programme, Hort Integra initiated a strategic learning programme to provide their cooperatives with practical experience and strategies to strengthen their presence in this competitive market. As one of the project partners, HollandDoor contributed to the early part of this programme, which was co-organized by COEXPHAL, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers’ Organizations in Almería.
Over five days, participants were able to learn first hand about the Almería agricultural model and the strategies adopted by local cooperatives to cope with commercial practices, promote quality and sustainability and ensure fair access to markets.
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Study tour enhances dairy sector expertise in Lebanon
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In January 2025 HollandDoor successfully organized a study tour focused on dairy value chain management for 20 participants from the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST). Funded by the RVO, this initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen the position of small-scale dairy farmers in the Baalbek-Hermel and North Bekaa regions. It aims to enhance expertise across the dairy production chain, from farm management to value chain optimization. LOST plays a vital role in the development of these communities. The study tour in the Netherlands built on previous online training and aimed to provide practical, hands-on learning experience to enhance the knowledge and skills of LOST staff and other advisors working in the field.
The programme focused on dairy farm management, value chain optimization, sustainable practices, cooperative development and financial management.
A crucial aspect of the study tour was the development of action plans by the participants. These plans are designed to implement the knowledge and best practices learned in the Lebanese context.
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Mark your agenda for the Greentech in June
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From June 10th to 12th, Amsterdam will host again the GreenTech: the global meeting place for all professionals involved in horticulture technology.
This event will showcase the latest developments in the horticultural supplying industry, alongside with insightful workshops and presentations focused on cutting-edge environmental technologies and sustainable solutions.
While we will not have a formal booth presence at any specific event, we are keen to connect with fellow innovators, companies, government representatives, and individuals to exchange ideas and explore potential collaborations. We are particularly interested in understanding your challenges and sharing thoughts how our expertise can contribute to your ambitions and 'Greentech inspiration'.
We would love to meet you. Don't hesitate to reach out to us to arrange a convenient time for a meeting, via info@hollanddoor.nl
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