Foreign Facility Agriculture: Status & Trends
Facility Agriculture Status in Developed Countries
Post-WWII, global stability drove economic growth and higher living standards, spurring the rapid rise of facility agriculture worldwide.
Since the 1950s, facility agriculture has advanced significantly. Integrated systems (cultivation facilities, specialized varieties, management techniques) have mitigated adverse climates (cold, heat), enabling year-round production, market balance, yield doubling and quality enhancement. Facility breeding has achieved large-scale, intensive, factory-style production, with revolutionary upgrades in equipment, varieties, full-price feed, vaccination and management. For instance, broiler production saw 50% lower feed consumption and 50% shorter rearing cycles over 40 years (FCR 1.8~2.2:1, cycle 54 days).
Developed countries have established mature facility agriculture systems (technology, equipment, production standards) with strong reliability and quality assurance, now advancing toward high-level, high-tech, automated and intelligent development for new technology systems.
The Netherlands, with scarce land (1,000 m² per capita arable land via reclamation), has over 13,000 hectares of glass greenhouses. It develops facility farming and livestock processing, leveraging high-tech horticulture and livestock products to boost agriculture—horticulture becomes a pillar industry. Its agricultural export value reaches $45 billion, ranking third globally (after the US and France). A global top flower exporter and trade hub, the Netherlands accounts for 70% of global cut flower auction exports (60% from its own production vs. China’s 1%), with its flower market prices as an international price indicator.
Japan, an island nation with per capita arable land lower than China, has rapidly developed vegetable, flower and horticulture production since the 1960s, achieving high quality, diversification and year-round market balance (≈14+ varieties available for 80 days). Its main cultivation facilities are temporary heating greenhouses and plastic greenhouses (few glass greenhouses with summer ventilation/cooling issues), focusing on vegetables, flowers and some fruits (e.g., netted melons, strawberries, grapes).
