Rotterdam is transforming urban agriculture with the world’s first floating dairy farm, designed to produce 1,000 liters of milk daily while incorporating sustainable practices and waste management systems.
In a groundbreaking development for urban agriculture, Rotterdam’s Merwehaven harbor will soon host the world’s first floating dairy farm. The innovative facility, developed by property company Beladon, will produce 1,000 liters of milk daily from 40 cows while implementing sustainable practices in food production and waste management.
The project originated when Beladon engineer Peter van Wingerden visited New York City during Hurricane Sandy. Witnessing residents’ struggles to access food after the disaster highlighted the critical need to reduce the distance between food production and urban consumers. This experience catalyzed the development of a solution that would bring agriculture directly into the city center.
The floating farm’s design incorporates multiple sustainability features. Eighty percent of the cows’ feed will come from food waste collected from local Rotterdam restaurants. A local green waste company, GroenCollect, will transport these materials using electric vehicles, minimizing the carbon footprint of feed delivery.
The remaining twenty percent of feed will be grown on-site using advanced agricultural techniques. The facility will feature vertical platforms equipped with LED lighting systems to cultivate various crops, including red clover, alfalfa, grass, and duckweed. According to Minke van Wingerden, co-owner of the project, duckweed represents an ideal feed choice due to its high protein content and rapid growth rate. The plants will be fertilized using collected cow urine, filtered through specialized membrane flooring.
The structure’s design accounts for both animal welfare and engineering challenges. While cows can access shore pasture via a gangplank, designer Klaas van der Molen notes that the floating platform required specific structural considerations to accommodate the weight and movement of 40 cows weighing approximately 800 kg each. The facility includes comfortable areas for the animals, featuring softened flooring and dedicated feeding spaces.
The farm emphasizes circular resource management. Automated robots will collect manure for use as fertilizer or energy generation on-site, with excess material distributed to nearby farms. Power generation will involve hydrogen production through electrolysis, powered by solar panels. The facility’s lower level will house milk and yogurt production facilities, with products destined for local consumption.
Urban farms typically demonstrate greater efficiency than their rural counterparts. According to Dr. Fenton Beed of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, these facilities generally require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides compared to conventional farming methods.
As global urbanization continues and available land becomes scarcer, innovative approaches to food production gain importance. While questions remain about livestock farming’s role in future food security and environmental sustainability, the Rotterdam floating dairy farm represents an experimental step toward reimagining agricultural possibilities in urban environments.