Food and fenns

This research by design combines the ongoing debate on sustainable food production with likewise discussions on the future of our peatlands, which suffer from lowering soils and increasing management costs. Target area is the national landscape of Laag Holland north of Amsterdam. Focussing on the driving forces of agricultural change new business models are captured, such as biobased farming, ecosystems services and community supported agriculture. The study shows how differences in peat layer thickness and water management give way to a natural zoning of land use. At the same time it becomes clear that agriculture, water management and landscape qualities are highly interdependent. Four integrated environmental strategies are designed to deal with this.

‘Environmental perspectives for Laag Holland’ is commissioned by Strootman Landscape Architects and carried out in cooperation with Natural Affairs, VHL University of applied sciences and Wageningen Economic Research.