Duckweed is the green stuff that you often see floating on ponds. In Asian countries it has been eaten by people for some time, but now it can also be sold in Europe. It must be just about the fastest growing plant and it is full of vitamins, minerals and proteins.
Horticulturist Dieter Vantyghem from Egem sees a market for it and therefore starts with a pilot project, together with Hogeschool Vives and Inagro. “You can make smoothies with it, you can make soup with it, you can use it as a lettuce, but also well pesto and vegan burgers. It even contains 30 to 40% proteins. That makes it very interesting for vegan customers, “says Dieter.
Dieter is now building his first basin to harvest the duckweed in April and bring it to the market in May. For him it is primarily an experiment, because he mainly remains a flower grower.