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Goals of our proposal

The research and the map will make people think again about the advantages of closed supply chains in small areas. It will make people aware that no matter how the products are produced, it is already very sustainable if it is produced nearby, so that there is no pollution because of transport.

People on the mainland tend to feel dependent on sources from abroad or far away in their own country, because that is just the way it works nowadays. If Texel proves to be able to foresee in its own needs, then it could serve as an example for the mainland. It can show to “overkanters” that sources do not necessarily have to be far away. That it is possible to produce whatever you need on a surface as small as Texel. In this way the island can be a catalyst for the same closed chains on the mainland. An island is a good way to start because the boundaries are very clear

This map will make visible all the chains and cycles on the island for the first time. A side advantage is that this will make missing links visible. For example when all potatoes used in restaurants are imported from the mainland, this will be noticed via the map. Then an entrepreneur could try to fix this gap in the market getting financial and sustainable benefits. Another example is a restaurant getting its vegetables from the mainland, not knowing other restaurants get the appels from an orchard on the other side of the island, he will notice this via the map and make a connection with this orchard.

That is the second thing, it stimulates companies to cut off their connections with the mainland and find connections on the island, because these connections with the mainland are also evident on the map.

This will work very well, companies will want to attend the map because it will give them more customers because tourists will be send from one part of the connection to the other, because of the connection and maybe discount.