Tomato grower Cor van der Kaaij is to leave Lokal Harvest. In the company, growers work with investors to set up horticultural projects abroad. A difference of opinion underlies his departure, Cor says.
Currently, a Lokal Harvest project involves renting greenhouses in Egypt to grow tomatoes. A difference of opinion arose over the organization's interpretation. "Leo van der Lans (also leader in the project ed.) sees it as a location like in the Netherlands, only a bit further away. I see more in setting up companies with partners, as I was partly involved in the Cualin Quality project in Spain and Thanet Earth in England. That means that the manager or partner is always present locally on the farm as a point of contact and to make sure everything is carried out as planned." That is not the case now in Egypt.
Cor's departure is not entirely final. "I never close a door permanently," he says. He hints that it may be that they will "find each other again later on in Lokal Harvest's strategy." "The future is increasingly difficult to predict." Cor remains interested in overseas projects to offer cultivation guidance there. With his departure from Lokal Harvest, there is additional space for this again.
For more information:
Lokal Harvest
www.lokalharvest.com