Life of a Tomato

Abstract

The Dutch energy transition is often framed through a narrow focus on technological fixes like solar panels and wind turbines. Yet this perspective ignores a deeper structural issue: the high levels of energy consumption embedded in daily systems—particularly the food supply chain. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Rotterdam/The Hague metropolitan region. This area functions as a critical artery in the globalized food system, encompassing the Port of Rotterdam, the Westland greenhouse cluster, and vast consumer populations. These interlinked zones form a linear, fossil-fuel-reliant network that impacts not only the climate, but also local communities, from underpaid migrant workers and overstressed farmers to urban dwellers disconnected from food origins.

The project responds to this challenge by reimagining the food system through the lens of degrowth and circularity. Its main goal is to shift away from global, high-energy supply chains toward a locally rooted, community-based food economy. This vision centers on spatial transformation: reshaping how food is grown, distributed, and consumed across urban and rural geographies. It calls for a redistribution of energy and resources, not only in physical space but also in terms of social equity and environmental justice.

The strategy involves the development of an alternative scenario: a Local-Circular-Degrowth model. This stands in contrast to the dominant Global-Linear-Growth trajectory, which continues to concentrate production and increase emissions. In the degrowth scenario, energy demand is radically reduced by localizing food production, shortening transport chains, and integrating food into everyday spatial practices. Urban areas begin to accommodate shared gardens, rooftop farms, and local distribution hubs. Former logistic corridors evolve into community harbors and multifunctional public spaces. Neighborhoods are designed to support co-living and co-farming, enhancing resilience and fostering community bonds.

This transformation unfolds over a century, guided by four timeframes—25, 50, 75, and 100 years. Each phase introduces specific interventions, starting with education for new-generation farmers and ending with the repurposing of regional harbors into hubs of food sovereignty. Crucially, the process involves a diverse set of actors: local farmers, policymakers, retailers, migrant communities, and citizens, all working collaboratively to co-create a just transition. By framing food, energy, and land as shared commons, the project envisions a future where prosperity is measured not in growth, but in the health of communities and ecosystems.