No in the sense that they are not diferentiating factors, i.e. everybody else is also doing that and yet don't have surplus of food.

Chances are they are, per capita, importing a lot more than others (haven't looked it up but I'd be surprised if they didn't, happily surprised that is), and if that's the case, "others do it too" (but less of it) doesn't rule out that the nl food surplus is more a form of processing (of other countries agricultural output) than of domestic production, that just hides behind the different classification of imports and exports (one isn't food, the other is). How much agricultural surplus would there still be if they were isolated for a few years?

This is easily researched [1]. While NL exports inflated due to having a large port with a lot of imports, they are still a large net exporter compared to size.

[1] https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2022/03/agricultural-exports-e.... In monetary values, 28% is re-exports and 72% is exports.

Easily researched? Imports and exports are usually compared in terms of € or USD and sure, if you process feed into meat you will make a surplus or you wouldn't do it. But for agriculture, a more fitting unit would be the nitrogen involved, and I'm pretty sure that imports greatly outweigh what's exported in food.

Not to mention decades of previously cheap natural gas...

Aren't they shutting down greenhouses now fir to exposing energy costs?

I think that is mostly flower greenhouses but could be wrong.

No really. The modern greenhouses act as little power plants, burning gas and generate electricity for the grid when demand is high, or act as a sink with electric heat when demand is low.

Interesting, didn't know that.

Source?

Not to mention decades of previously cheap natural gas...

Aren't they shutting down greenhouses now due to exploding energy costs?

Technically, the Netherlands were a net *exporter* of natural gas for most of modern history (1950's - 2018-ish).

https://www.reuters.com/article/netherlands-gas-imports-idUS...