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the effects of climate change have now put local crop production at risk, especially in low-lying coastal areas in the Netherlands

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With a total area of just 41,543 km2, the Netherlands is the largest exporter of agricultural products in Europe and the second largest in the world. The country's success in food export is not coincidental but built on decades of innovation, efficiency and hard work. However, the effects of climate change have now put local crop production at risk, especially in low-lying coastal areas. Two years ago, a pilot project "Freshwater Farmers" was started in North Holland, exploring how current agricultural practices could be adapted to protect crops from increasing salinization and extended droughts.
Battling the Salinization of Farmlands
One-quarter of the Netherlands' territory lies under the sea level, making the Dutch farmlands susceptible to both flooding and salinization. Increasing water demand, rising sea levels and more frequent periods of drought have made the latter issue more acute in recent years. Most of the traditionally cultivated crops in the Netherlands are not salt-tolerant; therefore, salinized soils result in stunted growth and low yields.
Maurice Meester, the Product Manager at Pipelife Netherlands, explains: "There is less and less fresh water in the ground. Normally, if you dig into the ground a few centimeters deep, you will find freshwater, as it is less dense and floats above saltwater. But nowadays, we use so much water that groundwater cannot restore itself sufficiently. The saltwater is slowly seeping into the lands, and, eventually, there are areas so salty that nothing grows there anymore."