Reduco emerged as the successor, operating as the production arm of the cooperative Beyond Wood. (Image credit: Greenport West-Holland)

Turning eggplant residuals into high-performance construction panels may sound unconventional, but Dutch innovator Reduco is proving that circular building solutions can come from the most unexpected places.

According to Greenport West-Holland, these panels are fully circular, moisture resistant and fire safe, offering a promising alternative to conventional construction materials. Founder Wilfried Martens now hopes the market will adopt the product, enabling large-scale production in the coming years.

Martens did not originally come from the construction sector. After working as a dairy farmer, he decided to leave agriculture behind and pursue a new direction. A chance encounter with eggplant nursery Greenbrothers in Zevenbergen sparked an innovative idea: could residual streams from eggplant cultivation be transformed into durable building panels? This question led to the creation of Nova Lignum thirteen years ago. Although that company eventually went bankrupt, the concept itself proved resilient.

Reduco emerged as the successor, operating as the production arm of the cooperative Beyond Wood. The cooperative’s mission is to add value to agricultural residual streams for the construction industry. Initial success came from using willow residuals, and once that process was proven, the earlier eggplant concept was revived as a next step towards fully circular construction materials.

Wilfried Martens explained the reasoning behind this structure, and said, "It is important to create a high-quality building material to compete in construction, because you are dealing with competition from current products. By working together in a chain, you can create value together and strengthen each other. That is why the entire chain is represented in the cooperative Beyond Wood. It is a way to work together towards social goals and find better solutions than each on their own."

The collaboration with Greenbrothers was built on trust and shared innovation. Processing eggplant stems presented technical challenges, particularly the need for intensive manual preparation.

For now, production is paused, but momentum is building. The eggplant initiative is also featured on the Bioboost platform, which connects and promotes biobased innovations within horticulture, reinforcing the role of plant-based residuals in the future of sustainable construction.

The greenhouse is equipped with cutting-edge agricultural technologies.(Image credit: Turkmen portal)

Turkmenistan has taken another significant step towards advancing high-tech agriculture with the launch of a modern greenhouse complex in the Balkan province.

The new facility has been constructed and commissioned at the Nurly meýdan farming enterprise in the Bereket district, underscoring the country’s growing focus on sustainable food production and agricultural innovation.

The opening ceremony brought together a wide range of attendees, including representatives of the Balkan province and Bereket district administrations, members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, public organisations, deputies of the Mejlis, members of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council), respected elders, and local residents. The event reflected the importance of the project for both regional development and national food security.

During the celebrations, builders who played a key role in completing the project were honoured with valuable gifts presented on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan. The ceremony was enlivened by traditional songs and dances performed by local artists, creating a festive atmosphere that highlighted the cultural significance of the occasion.

Following the elders’ blessing, guests were invited to tour the greenhouse and explore its advanced infrastructure and production systems. Spanning an area of 10 hectares, the complex is complemented by fully landscaped surroundings and a range of technical and auxiliary facilities designed to support efficient operations.

The greenhouse is equipped with cutting-edge agricultural technologies supplied by companies from the Netherlands, Türkiye, Greece, Italy, Spain, and other countries. With an annual production capacity of up to 2,000 tonnes of tomatoes, the facility is expected to make a substantial contribution to domestic food supply.

Elite tomato seeds imported from European countries have already been planted and are beginning to produce their first harvest, highlighting the project’s strong production potential and its role in strengthening agricultural development and food security in the region.

The park’s strategic location enhances its role as a gateway for international flower commerce.(Image credit: Floral daily)

China’s floriculture sector reached a major milestone on 8 December with the official opening of the Beijing International Flower Industrial Park.

The inauguration ceremony brought together around 100 representatives from across the national flower industry, underlining the project’s significance for both domestic and international markets.

Situated in Panggezhuang Town, Daxing District, the park spans 552.6 mu (approximately 36.84 hectares) and is equipped with 60,000 square metres of state-of-the-art greenhouses. Designed as a next-generation floriculture hub, the park aims to integrate “innovation and R&D + production demonstration + digital trade + cultural tourism experience,” with a strong emphasis on bulb flowers for research, cultivation and global trade.

The park’s strategic location enhances its role as a gateway for international flower commerce. Just 20 minutes from Beijing Daxing International Airport and close to the Jingkai Expressway, it offers efficient logistics for both imports and exports. A number of leading domestic and international flower companies have already established a presence, creating a vibrant ecosystem for collaboration, innovation and commercial growth.

Looking ahead, the park plans to introduce more premium international flower varieties while actively promoting distinctive Chinese local breeds to overseas markets. This dual strategy is expected to strengthen China’s competitiveness in the global floriculture industry and support domestic enterprises in expanding internationally.

The opening was marked by a Home Gardening Forum, where industry experts and business leaders shared insights on popular ornamental plants including Phalaenopsis, Amaryllis, Paphiopedilum and Rhododendron. Together, these initiatives position the park as a key driver of innovation, trade and sustainable growth in China’s rapidly evolving flower industry.

Navigating the drought: Iraq's struggle for food security.

Iraq’s ambition to achieve wheat self-sufficiency is faltering as a deepening water crisis tightens its grip on the country, threatening food security, rural livelihoods and one of the world’s oldest agricultural regions.

For generations, Iraqi farmer Ma’an al-Fatlawi has relied on the Euphrates River to irrigate his wheat fields near Najaf. But today, the river that once nourished the Fertile Crescent is receding at an alarming rate. Standing beside a cracked irrigation canal, he waits for his limited water allocation, knowing there are few alternatives. “Drilling wells is not successful in our land, because the water is saline,” al-Fatlawi said.

Iraq, historically one of the Middle East’s largest wheat importers, had made notable progress in recent years. A state-backed drive to boost domestic wheat production delivered three consecutive annual surpluses, raising hopes of long-term food independence. Those gains, however, are now under serious threat.

The country is enduring what experts describe as the driest year in modern history. Water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have plunged, forcing farmers to scale back planting. The wheat harvest could fall by as much as 50 percent this season.

“Iraq is facing one of the most severe droughts that has been observed in decades,” the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Iraq representative Salah El Hajj Hassan told Reuters.

Climate change is compounding Iraq’s vulnerability. The largely arid nation ranks fifth globally for climate risk, with average temperatures rising rapidly and rainfall expected to decline further. At the same time, Iraq depends on neighbouring countries for roughly 70 percent of its water supply, leaving it exposed to upstream dam projects in Turkey and Iran.

The FAO says reduced cross-border water flows are the main driver of the crisis, prompting Baghdad to introduce strict rationing. Iraq’s water reserves have collapsed from 60 billion cubic metres in 2020 to less than 4 billion today. “Rain-fed and irrigated agriculture are directly affected nationwide,” El Hajj Hassan said.

In response, Iraq’s agriculture ministry has halved the area allowed for river-irrigated wheat in the 2025–2026 season and mandated modern irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler technology. Rice farming, a highly water-intensive crop, has been banned altogether.

Yet modern irrigation comes at a high cost, placing further strain on rural communities that already make up around 30 percent of the population. Some 170,000 people have been displaced due to water shortages. “This is not a matter of only food security,” El Hajj Hassan said. “It’s worse when we look at it from the perspective of livelihoods.”

Back in Najaf, al-Fatlawi has reduced his wheat acreage to just a fifth of its usual size and laid off most of his workers.