ir. JJ (Janjo) de Haan

I am an expert in the development of sustainable farming in arable and vegetable production with focus on soil, water and fertilizer management. My drive is to achieve practical and sustainable solutions for and with entrepreneurs: solutions that are both good for business (sufficient income and farm subsistence) and for society (such as reduced emissions and the use of finite resources). Cooperation with entrepreneurs and other stakeholders is essential in this to connect with the questions from practice and also to transfer the knowledge developed into practice.

My current research is aimed at improving soil management with a focus on organic matter, soil tillage and fertilization. I have been coordinating the large Public Private Partnership research program Beter Bodembeheer, which works on the development of measures for sustainable soil management in field crops. The program focuses on the integration of soil knowledge and the translation of this knowledge into practical messages. I am also involved in the climate program Slim Landgebruik, aimed at realizing 0.5 Mton of carbon storage in the soil per year from 2030, and in EJP SOIL, a large European program aimed at sustainable soil management. In this program I coordinate communication in the Netherlands, and I am involved in various research projects in the program.

I am also secretary of the Standing Commission on Fertilization in Arable Crops and Field vegetables, which determines soil and fertilizer recommendations in the Netherlands and publishes the Manual Soil & Fertilizer management. From that position, I set up the Public Private research program BAAT to develop new fertilization recommendations for arable farming that use new knowledge and take social goals into account.

Before, I have been working on more technological solutions as Soilless cultivation in which I acted as program manager of a research program. Besides, I have worked on the possibilities of fertigation in vegetable crops.

I have international expertise in EU projects in the EU's focus groups (Fertilizer Efficiency in Horticulture and Water and Agriculture) and as a co-coordinator of the EUVRIN workgroup Fertilization and Irrigation.