See how a country the size of Maryland became the world's second-largest agricultural exporter

"The Netherlands has some of the most efficient greenhouses in the world. Dutch company Looye Kwekers has tomato plants that grow a foot a week with limited water. The Netherlands yields 12 times more tomatoes than the average tomato farm globally. The Netherlands is about the size of the state of Maryland, yet it's the second-largest agricultural exporter in the world by value, behind the US."

"It produces everything from eggs and beef to tomatoes and peppers, and in 2024, it farmed goods worth over $140 billion. By comparison, the US's agricultural exports amounted to about $176 billion that year. Still, it's the Netherlands that leads in intensive greenhouse production and innovative technology that helps crops grow faster and produce higher yields than the global average."

The Netherlands, roughly the size of Maryland, is the world's second-largest agricultural exporter by value, producing eggs, beef, tomatoes, and peppers. In 2024 the country farmed goods worth over $140 billion, compared with about $176 billion in US agricultural exports. Dutch greenhouses are highly efficient, enabling intensive production on limited land. Companies like Looye Kwekers grow tomato plants a foot per week using limited water, and national yields reach about 12 times the global average for tomatoes. The Netherlands leads in greenhouse technology and intensive production, prompting other countries to develop larger-scale Dutch-style greenhouses to boost yields.

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