ERF - B.V. Exploitatie Reservegronden Flevoland, The Netherlands

B.V. ERF is the largest private organic farm in the Netherlands. Its cultivated surface constitutes about 1800 hectares. On average, B.V. ERF is growing around 20 organic arable and vegetable crops such as cereals, peas, spinach and beans. The large production scale allows for the introduction of modern techniques in the cultivation as well as in the processing of the products. The production sites are mainly located at city borders. Therefore, citizens can witness food production without being burdened by the use of synthetic pesticides. The company plays a leading role in the development of sustainable food production. Therefore, it experiments with various kinds of innovative mechanisation and production techniques. To combine landscape biodiversity and sustainable production, the company has started experimenting with various kinds of mixed cropping systems and crop diversity in time and space. One of the methods used is strip cropping.

Role in the project

B.V. ERF is a partner in the Dutch case study of work package 2.

Key persons involved

• Roy Michielsen
• Jaco Burgers