Metropolitan Agriculture as a sustainable perspective

In 2010 TransForum will have developed a more sustainable perspective for the Dutch agro-sector. This perspective is a bouquet of various ways of production that strenghten eachother. Together, they constitute a strong base for production of sufficient variety of products, under conditions and forms that vary sufficiently to adapt to changing societal norms. The common factor in all these manifestations is their metropolitan character; they are all agricultural activities that fit in the metropolitan setting. A setting that is characterized by a high population density and a high pressure on space. This leads to very specific market opportunities, ranging from highy effective production to combinations of care and welness, that can only develop in such circumstances.

Sustainable value propositions are central
TransForum believes that joint development of metropolitan agriculture is the most promising perspective for the Dutch agro-sector. Our project portfolio contains a number of experimental flowers for the metropolitan bouquet. They are new, sustainable value propositions. We experiment by organizing new combinations of parts of chains, by facilitating new combinations of strong regional and economical functions and by acting as a linking pin between these parties. This combination forms a unique characteristic of Dutch agriculture and offers a unique position in the rapidly developing market of metropolitan agriculture to the Dutch agricultural sector. Through its experiments, TransForum has also explored and opened possibilities to act as a worldwide supplier of knowledge to develop the concept of metropolitan agriculture.  

Unique Agro Innovation System as groundwork
The groundwork for this perspective ia a unique Agro Innovation System (AIS) that aims to establish connections between businesses, markets and knowledge systems. This is to make explicit that innovation can not only be stimulated by investing in knowledge. The trick is to develop knowledge and competencies that enable the creation of value, in terms of money (prosperity), social cohesion (people) and environment (planet).  Such an AIS is difficult to design. It will develop gradually by experiments, by experience and by creating the right connections. As the Netherlands are ahead of other countries in doing so, the development of this AIS offers a unique opportunity to look with confidence to the future.

KOMBI-cooperation is a condition for success
The cooperation between parties that jointly define the unique Dutch position, the so-called KOMBI-parties (Knowledge institutions, Governmental authorities, Societal Organizations and the Business community) is essential for the realisation of the perspective. That is why TransForum invests in facilitating and realizing these forms of cooperation. TransForum also works on having its example followed, by delivering proof of principle ('see, it's possible!') and proof of practice ('and it's viable, too') in many of its projects.