Appeal by 70 parties: The Netherlands’ strategy for global food security works!
A broad coalition of Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and civil society organizations wants to work together with the new government to make a real difference in improving global food security. The main focus will lie on supporting farmers and consumers in the Netherlands and beyond, and promoting climate-proof food systems in low- and middle-income countries. The coalition believes that, with our knowledge, expertise, experience and reputation for international cooperation and trade, the Netherlands must adopt an ambitious strategy for making our food systems more sustainable, and so contribute to achieving the targets in the Paris Climate Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Concrete help for the government
The coalition is pleased that the new government agrees that the Netherlands should contribute to food security and water management in other countries (Outline Agreement, p 23) and offers a helping hand to continue to work together to achieve a resilient food system that makes a positive contribution to the climate goals and increases global food security. That has been detailed in three main points:
- Offer stability and continuity through greater ambition for international cooperation with sufficient financial resources
- Link the Climate Agenda to the Food Security Strategy, with context-specific action and investment
- Bring these points together in a long-term, government-wide International Food and Food Security Strategy, and involve the coalition in the formulation of this policy
This is essential because:
- 74% of the wide-range of food consumed in the Netherlands comes from abroad
- Dutch technology is involved in 80% of horticultural projects around the world
- Dutch knowledge institutes, with Wageningen University & Research in the forefront, are world leaders in research into food and food security
- 0.5% of national income is spent on ‘development cooperation’, while most people in the Netherlands think that is 3.6%
- 4.3% of total climate financing goes to agro-food systems, which cause an average of 29% of greenhouse gas emissions
- Together with 133 other countries, the Netherlands has pledged to integrate food and agriculture in its climate plans as of 2025. This commitment affects 70% of the world’s agricultural land.
- It will reach 10.6 million small farmers with activities aimed at increasing their productivity and incomes
Everything comes together
The signatory parties represent a broad cross-section of both the food and agricultural sector and the climate and environment sector. New supporters are very welcome to join the coalition by sending an email to fwouters@nlfoodpartnership.com.
Themes
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