Donut Diet: Agricultural transition towards a circular, collective, and regenerative future

There is an imbalance in the nitrogen cycle, mainly caused by an increasingly intensive agricultural sector. This leads to the degradation of nature and the loss of biodiversity. Measures have been taken at European level to reduce the amount of nitrogen emitted by the agricultural sector, but this has caused a backlash as farmers in many...

Ports, Portscapes and Port Landscapes: The 100 year vision and strategy for circular and just spaces

Portscapes are one of the most important hubs in the global economic system that facilitate the movement of goods and shape the socio-economic conditions of their surroundings. However, in times of climate change, they face unprec- edented challenges to completely transform their current ways of operating and fully reduce their contribution to a...

Evaluation of organic acids as scrubbing agents for ammonia recovery from wastewater through Aspen Plus® simulations

This study evaluates the effectiveness of organic acids, specifically citric acid, lactic acid, and malic acid, as scrubbing agents for ammonia (NH3) recovery from waste air streams. The acid scrubbing process was modeled using Aspen Plus® and validated against sulfuric acid scrubbing process data available in the literature. The effects of...

Chance to Change the Chain: Imagining a More Circular and Inclusive Food Supply Chain

Food. It is grown, processed, distributed, sold, eaten and then oftentimes<br/>carelessly discarded. In the European Union, 88 million tonnes<br/>of food waste is produced each year, while the Netherlands stands<br/>out as the EU’s largest producer. Food waste causes soil degradation,<br/>emits significant amounts of greenhouse gasses and can...

DownScale-Up!: Downscaling global agri-food flows with an upscaled regional system

The Netherlands exported in 2017 for 91,7 billion euros and exported for even more: 62,6 billion euros(CBS, 2018). This shows the big agri-food fl ows in which the Netherlands is involved. Sadly, these global fl ows have a big impact on economic, social and environmental sustainability worldwide. For example, transport causes many emissions,...

Planting a circular foodscape: Solving spatial conflicts in South-Holland by changing to circular behavior in the food chain

Elsewhere, deserts emerge as we flood, yet we continue to consume at our leisure. Our food is shipped all over the world for our convenience. Our behavior causes serious problems in the world but also on our own ground. Right now the province of South Holland copes with a conflict of space, as there is a need for more housing, renewable energy...

Patching Up: A strategy to integrate drosscapes to achieve a circular organic sector in South Holland

In the Netherlands, the organic sector is one of the key pillars of the economy. Currently, the country holds the role of the second biggest exporter of food globally, having 94.5 billion in value of goods exported in 2019. In South-Holland itself the organic sector contributes to the regions’ budget by 16%. Most of the production is happening...

CO2MORROW: The role of CO2 in the agrifood sector in the transition to a cirular economy in the province of South Holland

The province of South Holland is a key player in the global food economy. However, its agrifood sector is currently generating unwanted outputs. CO₂emissions are the largest and most problematic output flow of this sector, causing negative externalities such as climate change and sea-level rise. Actors producing the CO₂...

Growing Smaller: Optimizing productivity within an intersectural circular system to relieve the pressure on land

The province of South-Holland is located in a delta, where the Netherlands have been changing the landscape for centuries to keep out the water and create the productive, highly urbanised and well connected landscape it is now. Due to climate change, the water system brings about an increasing pressure in both the rivers as well as the sea. In...