Why going around in circles is helping Dutch farmers create sustainable food systems

At first glance, the Netherlands doesn’t seem like the type of country which should top the league tables in agricultural production.

With an area of just 41,500km2 — including 7,800km2 of open water — and a population of only 17m, it appears to lack the people or resources necessary for large-scale production.

Yet despite its diminutive size, the Netherlands is the second-largest exporter of food in the wold — trailing only behind the United States, which is…