Impactmaker Marjoland: A family business that never stands still

When you walk into the greenhouses of Marjoland in Waddinxveen, you don't see your average rose nursery. What started in Bleiswijk in 1978 as Joop van den Nouweland's adventure has grown into the largest rose nursery in Europe. Joop brought his experience and network from vegetable cultivation to the world of roses and, together with his family, built a company that has repeatedly proven its ability to adapt. Since 2000, Marjoland has been based in Waddinxveen, where his son Daniel is now the director. The mentality remains unchanged: stay curious and constantly look for ways to grow smarter, more efficiently, and more sustainably.

Intrinsic motivation: efficiency = sustainability

At Marjoland, sustainability is not a trend, but is deeply ingrained in the way we work. As early as the 1960s, when Joop was still active in vegetable cultivation, he became acquainted with biological plant protection products. In the rose fields, he used predatory mites, gall midges, and, more recently, even geckos to combat pests.

Joop sees nature as a system with its own logic. “You have to try things, but there is a logic in nature that you cannot change. Organic always gives better results. You can see and smell that. The whole thing just has to be right.”

“It's also just fun to keep getting smarter and better” – Daniel van den Nouweland

This view of coherence also forms the basis for the next generation. Daniel translates that into efficiency: "My intrinsic motivation is efficiency. You can measure input and output, but you don't know what's happening inside the plant. There's so much potential there. If you make maximum use of every drop of water, every kilo of substrate, and every kilowatt of energy, you automatically become more sustainable."

Innovation means perseverance

When Joop switched to roses, he noticed that the sorting technology was lagging behind. “The machines were much more advanced in the vegetable sector. With roses, I thought: this could be better.” Collaborating with his good friend from machine manufacturer Aweta, he started a project. “We fiddled around with it for a year, but after two years we had something that really worked.”

Joop remained the driving force. The sorting machine was continuously refined, until the current generation with AI-controlled cameras that assess each rose individually. This results in uniform bunches of high quality and valuable data for further improvement.

The investment in AI was shared with three other Dutch rose growers. In this way, a joint challenge became a breakthrough that helps the entire sector move forward. It shows what has been driving Marjoland for decades: curiosity and collaboration. Because real innovation only comes about when knowledge, resources, and experience come together.

Smarter use of energy and climate

Marjoland has also been opting for smart solutions in energy and climate management for years. For example, the Hoogendoorn IIVO climate computer was implemented with the help of Horticulture Technical Solutions. This system makes it possible to manage the energy system more efficiently through sensors, ventilation, and lighting.

This allows growing conditions to be precisely coordinated with the needs of the rose: optimal humidity, efficient lighting, and targeted energy use. This means lower consumption per square meter and a more stable climate for the plants.

But at Marjoland, it's about more than just technology. Joop relies on his years of experience, which give him almost a sixth sense, to understand what the plant needs. “You really want to know exactly what's going on inside that mat,” he once said at a trade fair, referring to technologies that sometimes overlook the coherence of the growth process. For him, it is clear: real progress can only be achieved when technology and nature are considered together. Because ultimately, the plant itself knows best what it needs.

On the way to fully organic

Marjoland's ambition goes beyond today's innovations. The company wants to grow completely organically as soon as possible. New developments such as drones that detect diseases at an early stage are closely monitored, and UV robots that combat fungi without chemicals are among the first to be purchased and tested by Marjoland. Some technologies are not yet ready for practical application, but they fit in with the curiosity that has made Marjoland great.

It is important to note that these ambitions are not solely driven by regulations. Daniel emphasizes: “The trick is to never hit the bottom of the regulations, but to stay ahead of them.” It's about enjoying becoming smarter, about the conviction that efficiency and biology reinforce each other, and about collaborating with colleagues and specialists who help the entire sector move forward.

In this way, Marjoland continues to do what it has always done: keep learning, innovating, and at the same time staying close to nature. Because ultimately, it is the biology of the plant that shows the way, and the art for the grower lies in learning to listen better and better.

Do you have questions about this specific sustainability initiative, or do you have your own sustainability plans? Please contact sustainability@royalfloraholland.com.

Impactmakers is a series by Royal FloraHolland that highlights entrepreneurs who are making the sector more sustainable with vision and courage. From big steps to small improvements: together we are building a future in which flowers and plants are grown with respect for people and the environment. Marjoland is an inspiring example of this.