ISHS Acta Horticulturae 429: XIII International Symposium on Horticultural Economics
DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT PROJECTS, 'ENVIRONMENT-CONSCIOUS CULTIVATION' (ECC) AND 'ENVIRONMENT PROJECT FLORICULTURE' (EPF) IN DUTCH HORTICULTURE |
| Authors: | J.C.J. Ammerlaan, A.A. van der Maas, J.K. Nienhuis, P.J.A. de Vreede |
| Keywords: | Environment, Crop protection, Energy, Fertilizers, Waste, Biocontrol, Greenhouse, Glasshouse |
| Abstract:
The environment has become part of product quality and is consequently used as a marketing argument to the consumer. To anticipate these developments the fruit and vegetable auctions in 1992 launched ECC (Environment-Conscious Cultivation). In floriculture Flower Auction Holland and the Flower Study Group South-Holland Glasshouse District took the initiative in 1993 to establish the EPF (Environment Project Floriculture). Meanwhile, both projects have taken an independent form as foundations, the boards of which are formed by marketing, cultivational and interest organizations. About 40% of the greenhouse holdings, covering about 50% of the total glasshouse acreage, are joining in one of these projects. From the start of both projects researchers of the Research Station for Floriculture and Glasshouse Vegetables in the field of economics and management have worked on the content of ECC and EPF. The development was carried out with the help of groups of growers and experts. The basis of both projects is a four-weekly registration of the use of chemical and biological crop protection agents, energy, fertilizers and waste processing. The data are processed and returned to the participants. The participants themselves can indicate with which fellow-participants they want to compare their data. In addition to this registration, ECC also places demands on biocontrol, with the presence of a certain level of biological indicators in the crop as a standard. In EPF the holdings are divided into 3 classes, according to the environmental performance of the holding. The environmental performance is expressed in points. These points are calculated with the aid of a scoring system. The lower the amounts of pesticides, energy, or fertilizers used and the better the methods of waste processing, the higher the number of points awarded to the holding. For both projects an independent, external control organization monitors the holdings. In 1996 for ECC set-up and introduction of a scoring system were worked on, comparable to those of EPF. In 1996 both ECC and EPF work on joining the 'Milieukeur,' an independent environmental hallmark initiated by the government. Apart from this EPF investigates the possibilities of allowing holdings abroad to participate, in order to diversify the assortment. | |
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