Toespraak van minister Kamp bij de opening van de Koppert Cress Murakami Farm

Toespraak | 09-11-2015

Ladies and gentlemen,

Over four hundred years ago, at the start of the Japanese-Dutch friendship, our ancestors must have thought the same as we do now: together we can achieve more than on our own. Today's event is a prime example: 2 countries that complement each other, and two successful companies that have capitalised on this, yielding great results.

High-tech meets design; hardware meets creativity. Japan, at the forefront of robotics technology and inventor of blue LED lights; the Netherlands, the first country to apply these technologies in agriculture.

Japan sets high quality standards, especially in terms of food and health – fit for purpose simply isn’t good enough for your country. And the Netherlands’ horticultural expertise is unrivalled: our production methods are the most efficient in the world.

Add these 2 together, and you get the Koppert Cress Murakami Farm Co-Production Center: 2 excellent producers of vegetable sprouts, working with Dutch companies Priva for climate control and Hawé for logistics. I’m honoured to be opening this center today.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It's not our differences, but what we have in common that brings us together. In 1600 that was water. Water brought us to Japan and our marine expertise and navigation skills, our mastery of charting, sparked the Japanese interest in the Dutch. It was the start of our friendship.

We're still both engaged in a struggle against the water, while also trying to use it to our best advantage. But we face other shared challenges too. We both have urbanised and ageing societies, and we’re both looking for the best way to create 'the city of the future'. Both our countries are densely populated, we both have limited arable land and we both have high energy costs. So the need for efficient agricultural production methods is great.

These aren't all new challenges. But for the future of our economies it's more important than ever to meet them head-on.

They hamper our growth. And in a globalised and competitive world, stagnation means decline. What’s more, with the expertise already gained, our countries can contribute to tackling issues that have become global problems.

The Dutch horticultural sector can make a substantial contribution. Our growers achieve the highest productivity per hectare, while minimising the use of plant protection products, water and minerals. They are leading the way in energy efficiency, sustainable energy production and CO2 reduction.

The Japanese are known for their healthy diet. And it shows. Nowhere in the world is life expectancy as high as here. Could it be due to the wide variety of vegetable sprouts in the shops here? They are definitely a contributing factor.

It certainly inspired Rob Baan of Koppert Cress. He came to your country to learn how you grow vegetable sprouts. Then he developed the techniques further in the Netherlands and linked them to Dutch production methods. Koppert Cress quickly became a big player on the world market.

And now the world’s largest producer and Europe’s largest are jointly opening the Koppert Cress Murakami Farm Co-Production Center. Several years ago, when Kazutaka Kato, President of the Japan Food Service Association, visited the Netherlands, he encouraged Mr Baan to set up business in Japan. I'm sure this kind of joint venture is what he had in mind. Both companies are counting on the support of the Japan Food Service Association to make this partnership a success.

Ladies and gentlemen,

2 countries: similar challenges, the same ambition and a solid foundation of 400 years of friendship to build on. Let this project, led by two entrepreneurs who saw that and seized this opportunity, be an example to many others.

Let us raise our glasses and drink a toast to our partnership: Kampai!

Thank you.