Web exclusive: Dairy innovators set up shop in The Netherlands
FrieslandCampina is known for its dairy innovations, including a 2010 project to develop butter that doesn’t spatter when used for frying.
Editor's note: U.S. journalist John W. McCurry visited The Netherlands along with a delegation of international journalists. He wrote this report exclusively for dairyfoods.com.
The Netherlands, a country of 17 million people, is a nexus of food innovation in Europe and is the second largest exporter of agricultural and food products in the world behind the United States. The dairy sector accounts for about 10% of these exports. Food is the country’s largest industry, accounting for 9.2% of total GDP.
The Dutch are quite proud of this huge economic engine and recently hosted a group of international journalists for an in-depth look at Holland’s food industry. Led by the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, the country’s chief economic development agency, the tour included looks at significant food processors and major research institutions.
A significant portion of the tour examined the dairy industry, which dominates the Netherlands food sector. A glance at the statistics shows why: