Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, welcomed a group of 28 European Union (EU) Agriculture Ministers including EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan to the Philips Lighting GrowWise Center in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The Center leads horticultural and vertical farming research where growth recipes are developed for food crops. The visit was part of the Informal Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture organized by the Dutch EU Presidency. The central theme of this two day visit to the Netherlands was 'Food of the future - the future of food'.

Martijn van Dam, Dutch Agriculture Minister & President of EU Agriculture & Fisheries Council visiting Philips Lighitng GrowWise Center in Eindhoven. (All photos courtesy of Philips)

Martijn van Dam, Dutch Agriculture Minister & President of EU Agriculture & Fisheries Council, “Ministers saw with their own eyes the strength and importance of innovation and new technologies, in this case for the horticulture sector. It was impressive to witness how LED light can be used in ways to grow crops such as lettuces, tomatoes and strawberries locally and in a sustainable way. This is a compelling approach to grow food in compact spaces in urban areas and a perfect example of the central theme of our meeting: 'Food of the future - the future of food'. In order to be able to feed the ever-growing world population in a sustainable manner, a shift to climate smart agriculture and a circular economy is vital. I welcome all innovation and initiatives that can contribute to that. ”

EU Agriculture Ministers see the light for food growth at Philips Lighting’s GrowWise Center in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The Center develops growth recipes consisting of LED light and other factors such as climate and nutrition that support production of local, sustainable food crops in an increasingly urbanized world.

Five Facts You Didn’t Know About Philips LED Light To Grow Food

1. Crops are most sensitive to blue and red LED light recipes for successful growth, whereas people are most sensitive to green light for your eyes to see things.
2. LED growth recipes can influence the length, weight, vase life, flower color, and uniformity of a cut flower.
3. The level of vitamin C and taste of strawberries can be improved by using LED growth recipes
4. The amount of water used to grow a head of lettuce in a vertical farm such as the Philips Lighting GrowWise Center is 1.5 liters compared to 100 liters when grown in an open field.
5. The texture and taste of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce can be influenced by the use of LED light recipes.