Village Farms Welcomes Initial Government Findings from the Netherlands Regulated Cannabis Program
Independent evaluation finds the regulated supply chain functioning positively and gaining preference with consumers
Company remains a committed community partner; sees opportunities for stronger consumer protections to create a model framework reflective of Dutch leadership and innovation
GRONINGEN, Netherlands, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Village Farms International, Inc. (“Village Farms” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: VFF) today welcomed the publication of the first-year findings from the Netherlands' regulated cannabis program, and reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the program and to the Dutch communities in which it operates. Village Farms Netherlands participates in the program as one of ten producers licensed by the Dutch government to cultivate and distribute cannabis to participating coffeeshops.
The evaluation, conducted by the Trimbos Institute, RAND Europe and Breuer & Intraval on behalf of the Dutch government, assessed the first year of the program's operational phase across the ten participating municipalities. It reported that stakeholders across the supply chain, including coffeeshops, growers, municipalities and regulators, described their early experiences as positive, and that product range widened, with consumers rating price-value more positively than before the experiment began. It recorded no clear difference in public health, livability or safety compared to non-participating municipalities.
Michael DeGiglio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Village Farms, commented, “What the Dutch government set out to do was a historic undertaking for regulated cannabis in Europe and it deserves considerable praise. Replacing a tolerated supply chain with a regulated one is not an easy task, but these first-year findings are an encouraging sign of early success. We’re invested here as long-term community partners, and our team remains committed to collaborating with local stakeholders to build a successful program that protects consumers and creates economic benefits for its local communities.”
Orville Bovenschen, President of Global Operations for Village Farms, oversees operations for the Company's two Dutch facilities.
Bovenschen commented, “What we bring to the Netherlands goes well beyond cannabis. We draw on decades of experience in controlled environment agriculture and regulated markets, with expertise in process innovation and product quality, compliance and responsible operations. We’ve applied those lessons while working closely with our local municipalities to meet the requirements of this new regulated market, and we’ll continue sharing our experience and insight with Dutch policymakers and regulators to build a model framework reflective of Dutch leadership and innovation.”
Bovenschen added, “We’re encouraged by these positive initial results, and we believe now is an appropriate time for the government to begin talking about ways to create stronger protections for consumers and longer-term certainty for the program. We are supportive of revisions to packaging and labeling requirements to avoid consumer preferences shifting to high potency products, and also see benefits to further expansion of the program to combat the illicit market. Getting these conversations started will give growers, coffeeshops, and municipalities the confidence to plan and invest for a much larger, successful regulated market.”
About Village Farms International
Village Farms is a global leader in cannabis, plant-based consumer packaged goods, and sustainable innovation. With a legacy built on decades of Controlled Environment Agriculture expertise and Dutch farming practices, today the Company is one of the world’s largest and most profitable cannabis operators with an asset portfolio that spans over 7 million square feet of advanced greenhouse and indoor cultivation assets.
In Canada, Village Farms operates the world’s largest EU-GMP certified cannabis facility at its production campus in Delta, British Columbia, and exports products to international medical markets. The Company is also a market share leader in dried flower formats and produces and distributes some of the country’s highest quality and best-selling strains, including its flagship Pure Sunfarms Pink Kush, one of the most widely consumed strains on the planet. Village Farms’ Canadian brand portfolio includes Pure Sunfarms, Fraser Valley Weed Co., Soar, Super Toast, Pure Laine, Tam Tams and Promenade.
In the Netherlands, the Company is one of only ten licensed operators in the country’s regulated cannabis program, and in the United States its CBDistillery brand is one of the country’s premier cannabinoid wellness platforms, and it also holds equity interests in cannabis businesses in Australia and Germany. Beyond cannabis, the Company holds an equity interest in Verdexa Holdings, a private venture pursuing strategic acquisitions to build a premier branded food platform, and its Clean Energy division transforms landfill gas into renewable natural gas and receives royalties on all revenues generated.
Contacts
Sam Gibbons, SVP, Corporate Affairs Email: sgibbons@villagefarms.com
Danielle Allore, Senior Manager, Communications Email: dallore@villagefarms.com
