The tiny Netherlands is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world after the United States. Photographer and documentary filmmaker Kadir van Lohuizen shows what that looks like and gives a disconcerting look into the kitchen of our food industry.
Of all the vegetables in the world, 70 percent have a Dutch origin via seed breeding. The Netherlands is Europe's largest tomato exporter. And their onions go en masse to Africa. In turn, The Dutch import green beans from Kenya and asparagus from Peru. By contrast, Amsterdam Sloten is home to Europe's largest indoor farm, which could supply half of Amsterdam with fresh vegetables in the future.
Global food production is responsible for at least 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the food supply is coming under increasing pressure. Kadir van Lohuizen goes in search of answers to questions such as: where does our food come from? How is it produced? And where do we take it?
Van Lohuizen shows that pigs and chickens are fed in part on rejected stroopwafels, wine gums, whipped cream cakes, doughnuts and other food waste, and that in the largest pig slaughterhouse in the Netherlands, as many as 20,000 pigs are slaughtered per day. The heads, legs and intestines go to China and the "spare ribs" to the U.S.
Van Lohuizen's visual examination of the world behind our food production and consumption makes one think. What might the future of this food system bring us?
Van Lohuizen shows that pigs and chickens are fed in part on rejected stroopwafels, wine gums, whipped cream cakes, doughnuts and other food waste, and that in the largest pig slaughterhouse in the Netherlands, as many as 20,000 pigs are slaughtered per day. The heads, legs and intestines go to China and the "spare ribs" to the U.S.
Van Lohuizen's visual examination of the world behind our food production and consumption makes one think. What might the future of this food system bring us?
Original title: De voedsel BV
Air date: November 5, 2022
director & camera:
Kadir van Lohuizen
 
research:
Barbara Vos
Sharine Rijsenburg
Anna Lopriore
Daria Birang
 
sound:
Micheal van der Sluijs
Benny Janssen
Jillis Schriel
  
editor:
Chris van Oers
 
online:
Daan Kuys
 
production:
Regina Rijpkema
Zoë de Wilde
 
chief editors:
Doke Romeijn
Geert Rozinga
thanks to:
Frank Wiering
© VPRO 2022 
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