The Netherlands most important buyer
South Africa is an important player on the global market of fresh fruit. Fresh vegetables hardly play a part in the export. In the past year, South Africa exported approximately 3.6 million tonnes of fresh fruit, valued at 2.7 billion euro.

A nighttime arrival at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport flies you over the bright pink glow of vegetable production greenhouses. Growing crops under artificial light is gaining momentum, particularly in regions where produce prices can be high during seasons when sunlight is sparse.

A journalist walks into Honest Burgers, a small chain of restaurants in Britain. Mindful of the carbon emissions that come from raising cows, he orders a plant-based burger.

The Dutch government has unveiled a €25bn (£21bn) plan to radically reduce the number of livestock in the country as it struggles to contain an overload of animal manure.