Sustainable food
production policy in the
Netherlands
Presentation for the Round
Table for Sustainable
Production and Consumption
of Food.
Joost de Jong
20 November 2013
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Motivation
• Government agreement 2012:
- circular economy, green growth, stimulating a market for
sustainable sourcing,
- animal welfare,
- cooperation in the food chain.
• Agricultural sector is an important sector for the Dutch
economy
• Increasing public and political interest for food.
2
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Issues / Objectives of the Dutch policy
• Increase Confidence in food
• Stimulate sustainable food production
• Reducing food waste
• Earnings model and policy rules for competition
and sustainability
• Food security
3
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Confidence in food
• Safeguarding the integrity and safety of food
• Identifying risks
• The industry bears primary responsibility for product
integrity and safety.
• Ambition: create a chain that is completely transparent.
• Private quality systems offer a reliable framework.
• Task government: providing frameworks and standards in
relation to food safety, stringent controls and enforcement
4
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Sustainable food production
• Higher demands consumers on products (fairness,
honesty, transparency and sustainability).
• Companies are signing up to private sustainability
initiatives
• For sustainable food production a good
cooperation in the food chain is necessary.
• Industry and civil society organisations are
primarily responsible for the drive towards
sustainable food production.
5
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Sustainable Food Alliance
The Sustainable Food Alliance is a partnership
of the different actors in the food chain:
• Dutch Food retail Association (CBL)
• The Dutch Food Industry Federation
• The Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture (LTO)
• Dutch Federation of Catering Organisations (Veneca)
• The Royal Dutch Food Service Industry (KHN)
6
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
7
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Alliance and Ministry: Food Sustainbility agenda
• Sustainability in the major Dutch raw materials
and product chains in a broad sense;
• Increasing the sustainability of the meat chain;
• Reducing food waste and optimising residual
waste streams;
• Improving transparency and communication;
8
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Role government
• Stimulating and facilitating business and
sectors, stimulating and sharing ‘best practices’
• Promoting sustainable innovations
• Monitoring the progress on sustainability
• Promoting sustainable consumption
• Formulate policy rules for pursuing sustainability
within the competition rules
9
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Reducing Food Waste
• Netherlands will reduce food waste 20% in 2015 compared
with 2009
• Stimulating transparency: clarity on waste figures
• Consumer awareness-raising and behavioural change:
Dutch Food Nutrition Centre provides practical tools and
objective information.
• ‘best before date’: consumers are confused.
• Supporting Business Innovation Reseach projects.
• Stimulating cooperation between actors in the food chain
and the food banks.
10
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Food waste (2)
• In 2014 The Netherlands will organise an international
conference on food waste and post-harvest losses.
11
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Policy rules for competition and sustainablity
• A code of conduct for fair trading practices is developed
to improve the relationships within the chain (with pilots).
• Are the competition rules problematic for sustainability
initiatives?
• Sector organisations are invited to submit sustainability
initiatives to the ACM (Authority for Consumers and
Markets)
• A sustainability Knowledge Bank on ACM website
• More clarity for organisations on what kind of cooperations
on sustainability is permitted within the cooperation
framework.
Draft policy rules are developed.
12
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Food security
Global sustainable economic development in the agro sector
is necessary for a living income and productive employment.
By:
• Productivity improvement;
• Sustainable and effective chains;
• Improved market access;
• A better business climate.
Dutch government will support internationalisation initiatives
with the Golden Trinagle of business, knowledge institutes
and governments.
13
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012
Thanks
• Thanks for your attention.
Joost de Jong
Ministry of Economic Affairs
The Netherlands
0031 70 378 5930
J.dejong2@minez.nl
14
Ministry of Economic Affairs
Title of the presentation | November 5, 2012