Sustainability and innovation

We do everything in order to work as sustainably as possible at Van Gog Kwekerijen. High tech cultivation innovations also help our policy.

Reuse of water
We use spring water and rainwater to feed the plants. Spring water has consistent good quality. We pump up this water ourselves at all of our locations from 60 metres deep. We collect rainwater in natural basins near the greenhouses.

We add a mix of nutrients to the water. Our automated watering systems give the plants more or less water each time, according to the circumstances and needs. The water that is not absorbed by the plant is collected and returned to silos via a drainage system. The water is then filtered there, replenished with required nutrients and reused.

Energy conscious
We generate our own energy. We do this through solar panels on all non-glass Van Gog Kwekerijen buildings and with modern Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems. The heat and CO2 that is generated in the production of electricity in a CHP system goes to the greenhouses for the growing process. We return unused electricity to the energy grid, providing some 22,000 households with electricity.

Led grow lighting
As a supplement to daylight, we use artificial grow lighting in a number of greenhouses for cucumber cultivation. This ingenious and energy efficient led lighting enables us to harvest all year round. These greenhouses are equipped with roll blinds that automatically close at dusk in order to prevent light pollution for the surrounding area.

Room for nature
We have created abundant room for nature near our greenhouses at all three locations. Initially, we only collected the rainwater here that fell on the greenhouses for our own use and for soil infiltration. Over the years, we continued to work more sustainably, in balance with our planet's capacity. We contribute to a better environment not only in the greenhouse, but also outside of it and we provide room for nature. By installing, among other things, bee hotels, nest boxes and shelters for bats, we provide the opportunity for nature to develop further. In this way, beautiful natural areas are created, with a high level of biodiversity. These ponds, groves, bushes and reed marshes attract many different animals and are a feast for the eyes. Such a natural area created in Asten has even been included in a GPS hiking path through undisturbed nature.

Planet Proof

The independent quality mark On the way to PlanetProof proves that you are buying a product that has been produced more sustainably and is therefore a better choice for nature, climate and animals. With the quality mark, we work together with various farmers, horticulturists and other companies towards a production that is in balance with the carrying capacity of our planet. We are taking further and further steps to reduce the burden on the earth and are gradually making the entire sector more sustainable.

We are proud to be a certified Planet Proof horticultural company!