International aspects of the Agriculture Agreement (Landbouwakkoord): Report of an online dialogue

On Tuesday 2 May, NFP hosted an online briefing session to discuss the Manifesto The Dutch Agriculture Agreement reaches further than the Netherlands: offer prospects for sustainable farmers and consumers worldwide. The Manifesto has been signed by over sixty civil society organisations, farmers organisations, and academics, and will be offered to the Dutch parliament on 9 May.

The session facilitated a constructive dialogue on the interlinkages between the Dutch Agriculture Agreement and the international agenda for food security and sustainable food systems. Over 40 participants from civil society, knowledge institutions, private and public sectors took the opportunity to ask questions and share their insights about the key messages presented in the Manifesto.

Response of NFP Network to the Manifesto

Among the participants, several were fully supportive of the Manifesto and expressed their interest to co-sign. Many other participants supported the call for close and effective connections and policy coherence between the Agriculture Agreement, the future strategy for International Agriculture, and the Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation agenda.

Several recommendations were made by the participants

• Pay more attention to the need to change the narrative about the Dutch agricultural system, especially given the social and environmental costs of the Dutch system's pursuit of efficiency. A new narrative could be beneficial in the collaboration with African countries for example, as this could facilitate them to “leapfrog the errors made by the Dutch”;

• Link the agenda promoted by the Manifesto to the national pathways for food systems transitions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The Manifesto could become the starting point of a broader debate, including learning from existing practice and knowledge, and better understanding what consumers and farmers in LMIC need;

• Realise that the talk and negotiation is often with the institutions only, not with the farmers and companies. Think of addressing the new generations, there are good examples of experiential learning with TVET students to include them in the discussion. In practice, this means connecting with the education sector, as one of the sectors needed for the sustainable transition of the food system;

• Import and export flows should become more sustainable. Sustainable trade agreements are necessary to meet the interests of farming communities both in LMIC and in the Netherlands, while promoting other sustainability aspects;

• Biodiversity is considered a key area of interest.

The Manifesto seems well timed, and participants consider it as useful input to the parliamentary debate on the Agriculture Agreement. On May 9 the Manifesto will be offered to the Dutch parliamentary commission of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. It is supported by a separate and more comprehensive letter from the initiators to the two Ministers, which includes further references to academic and other evidence, and more specific recommendations.