Dutch king opens conference on sustainable farming in Thessaloniki

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, currently on an official visit to Greece, on Wednesday declared the start of a conference on agriculture organised by the Dutch embassy in Greece in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, expressing pride that Greece had chosen the Netherlands as a partner in its path toward the future of agriculture, sustainability and the transition to a green economy.

Opening the conference, which focused on efficient use of energy and water resources in Greece, King Willem-Alexander said that despite the great difference between Dutch polders and the Greek hills, farmers in both countries shared a passion for the products and the future of their farms and both faced the same problems as regards the sustainability of current farming methods.

“According to a study by the University of Thessaly, Greece lost over 10 percent of its usable arable land in the last decade, due to drought and other repercussions of climate change,” he pointed out. [AMNA]