BHOS-beleidsnota
Reactie
| Naam | Netherlands Food Partnership (N.M.H. Metz) |
|---|---|
| Plaats | Utrecht |
| Datum | 15 april 2022 |
Vraag1
(see english below)Nexus (samenhang) Ontwikkelingssamenwerking & Buitenlandse Handel
Het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven kan door middel van handel, investeringen en marktkracht een belangrijke rol spelen bij een aantal van de grote wereldwijde uitdagingen van deze tijd. Om de Nederlandse inzet richting het bedrijfsleven een focus mee te geven wordt gekozen voor een focus op de “twin-transities”; de digitale transitie (via onder meer artificiële intelligentie) en de verduurzamingtransitie. Deze twin-transities op digitale innovatie en verduurzaming zullen de komende jaren een grote rol spelen om de Parijs en Glasgow-doelen voor klimaat te halen. Die doelen moeten we in Nederland halen, maar ook wereldwijd. Hoewel er een grote behoefte is aan Nederlandse expertise en investeringen, zien we dat meer nodig kan zijn om het Nederlandse bedrijven te betrekken bij deze transities in (lage en) midden-inkomenslanden.
1. Hoe kan het Nederlandse bedrijfsleven meer betrokken worden bij de twin-transitie in (lage en) midden-inkomenslanden?
(EN)
Nexus between development cooperation and foreign trade
Through their trade, investment and market position, Dutch businesses can play a key role in tackling some of the major challenges facing the world today. The focus of Dutch policy vis-a-vis the private sector will be on the 'twin transitions' of digitalisation (including artificial intelligence) and sustainability – both of which will be key to achieving the Paris and Glasgow climate goals in the years ahead. We must achieve these goals not only in the Netherlands, but across the world as a whole. While Dutch expertise and investment funding are in great demand, we also see that more may be needed when it comes to getting Dutch companies involved in these transitions in low- and middle-income countries.
1. How can we increase the involvement of Dutch companies in the twin transitions in low- and middle-income countries?
One of the key strengths of The Netherlands internationally is its experience and focus on bringing actors together to join forces in solving concrete challenges, for example within the agrifood system. Approaches that emphasize working through the Dutch and LMIC Diamond (cross-sectoral partnerships of government, research, civil society and business) can achieve transformative impact collectively. Transformation of food systems that is necessary to achieve the Paris and Glasgow climate goals will not be achieved by supporting more individual projects, but can only be realised via collaborations based on joint visions for sectors and contexts. Supporting and facilitating such collaborations between Dutch companies and other food systems stakeholders will allow Dutch companies and partners to take a demand-driven and sustainable approach in the twin transitions, and enable them to be effective in their endeavours. Adding knowledge brokering support to facilities that help initiate such collaborations helps to identify effective approaches that capitalize on the strengths of the Dutch sector.
Vraag2
Nederland kent een lange traditie van publieke private samenwerking. Nu de mondiale uitdagingen steeds groter worden, is het van belang deze publiek-private samenwerkingen te verdiepen en te versnellen. De duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen zijn in 2015 vastgesteld als actieplan voor overheden, bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en burgers om duurzame ontwikkeling te verwezenlijken wereldwijd.2. Hoe kunnen overheid, bedrijfsleven en kennisinstellingen beter samenwerken om de duurzame ontwikkelingsdoelen te halen?
(EN)
The Netherlands has a long tradition of public-private partnership. As the global challenges grow ever bigger, it is important to deepen and accelerate these partnerships. The Sustainable Development Goals were presented in 2015 as a plan of action for governments, companies, knowledge institutions and private individuals to achieve sustainable development worldwide.
2. How can government, the private sector and knowledge institutions work together better to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals?
Multi-stakeholder platforms that bring together all relevant actors around a specific issue in a value chain, sector or area are a good vehicle to facilitate such collaborations, provided they meet certain conditions. These platforms need not only include government, private sector and knowledge institutions but also need to include civil society. To have SDG impact, the platforms need: 1) political will and support, 2) local ownership, 3) transparency, good and continuous communication, openness and respect, 4) capacity building based on understanding strengths and weaknesses of partners involved, 5) sufficient time and resources.
Dedicated and independent coordination is recommended to create a safe environment and resources for relationship building. To make research effective especially, a thorough stakeholder analysis as part of project inception phases is key. This includes integration of local knowledge, continued contact with target groups throughout projects, and dedicated support to facilitate communication and the translation or synthesis of research project results.
Vraag3
Nederland heeft sinds 2016 een actieplan beleidscoherentie voor ontwikkeling. Beleidscoherentie voor ontwikkeling heeft als doel om in niet-hulp (OS) beleid schade voor ontwikkelingslanden te verminderen en synergiën en samenwerking te versterken. Het Nederlandse actieplan is in 2018 herzien en geeft een overzicht van vijf Nederlandse beleidsthema’s die een invloed hebben op de ontwikkelingskansen in ontwikkelingslanden. Deze thema’s zijn: (1) het tegengaan van belastingontwijking/ontduiking, (2) ontwikkelingsvriendelijke handelsakkoorden, (3) een ontwikkelingsvriendelijk investeringsregime, (4) verduurzaming van productie en handel en (5) het tegengaan van klimaatverandering.3. Hoe kan de bovengenoemde Nederlandse inzet op beleidscoherentie voor ontwikkeling verder versterkt of verbeterd worden?
(EN)
The Netherlands has had an action plan on policy coherence for development since 2016. The aim of policy coherence is to reduce the negative effects on developing countries caused by policies in areas other than development, and to strengthen synergies and cooperation. The action plan, which was revised in 2018, identifies five Dutch policy themes that can enhance developing countries’ opportunities for development: (1) combating tax avoidance/evasion, (2) development-friendly trade agreements, (3) a development-friendly investment regime, (4) more sustainable production and trade, and (5) combating climate change.
3. How can the Netherlands’ efforts to achieve policy coherence for development be further strengthened or enhanced?
The contribution of the agricultural and food sector to various SDGs, particularly SDG2, is a domain in which policy coherence can be actually realised gradually. Some steps have been taken by the NL government to foster coherence in this domain (e.g. Food Security policy letter 2019 was co-signed by two Ministries), and more work is to be done to promote further coherence.
Consultation meeting hosted by NFP on 5 April 2022 resulted in relevant recommendations in this domain from participants in its network. Main recommendations include: 1) In terms of ‘external coherence’ between different Ministries, The Netherlands should start by giving the right example at home. To be a credible actor promoting environmentally sustainable food systems work is to be done in terms of nitrogen emissions and reducing food waste; 2) For coherence between Foreign Trade and Development cooperation instruments and policies more work remains to be done where the trade policy continues to accommodate harmful agro-industrial production structures that lead to the exploitation of human and environmental resources; 3) Furthermore, within development policy and programming more attention is needed for negative side-effects of programmes in terms of in/exclusion; 4) Finally, the role of embassies in creating internal coherence (between Foreign Trade and Development Policy) should be strengthened as this is a task that should be done by the public sector that is best achieved with LMIC stakeholders.
Vraag4
Buitenlandse HandelInternationale handel en investeringen zijn van groot belang voor de Nederlandse welvaart en werkgelegenheid. De Nederlandse welvaart wordt voor een derde verdiend door internationale handel en een derde van onze banen zijn verbonden aan internationale handel. Onze internationale concurrentiepositie is onderhevig aan de “twin-transities” (digitalisering/innovatie en klimaat/duurzaamheid) en verschuivende geopolitieke verhoudingen. Het is voor Nederland van groot belang om het verdienvermogen te versterken nu en in de toekomst.
Strategisch en duurzaam handelsbeleid
In anticipatie op de geopolitieke en transitie-ontwikkelingen sturen ook buitenlandse staten sterker op hun nationale en internationale beleid. Zo passen staten in toenemende mate assertievere economische diplomatie toe en zetten zij economische machtsinstrumenten in om hun internationale doelen na te jagen. Nederland kan hierin niet achter blijven. De verwevenheid van ons land met de rest van de wereld is groter en kwetsbaarder dan ooit. Als onderdeel van een samenhangend buitenland beleid, zal Nederland zich toeleggen op een strategisch en duurzaam handelsbeleid.
4. Hoe kan de overheid het duurzame verdienvermogen van Nederlandse bedrijven in het buitenland versterken?
Foreign trade
International trade and investment are crucial to prosperity and jobs in the Netherlands. International trade accounts for a third of our national income and is linked to a third of our jobs. But our international competitiveness faces risks posed by the twin transitions (digitalisation/innovation and climate/sustainability) and the shifting geopolitical balance of power. It is therefore vital for the Netherlands to strengthen its earning capacity, both now and in the future.
Strategic and sustainable trade policy
Other states are also anticipating the above-mentioned transitions and geopolitical shifts, and are adjusting their national and international policies accordingly, for instance by pursuing their international objectives through more aggressive economic diplomacy and the use of economic instruments of power. The Netherlands cannot afford to fall behind. Our country’s interconnections with the rest of the world are both greater and more fragile than ever. The Netherlands will therefore focus on strategic and sustainable trade policy as part of its coherent foreign policy.
4. How can the government strengthen Dutch companies’ sustainable earning capacity abroad?
The Dutch government can help The Netherlands to capitalize on its expertise and experience as a leading nation in agro-food solutions globally. Dutch companies are leading innovation in many areas of the agro-food sector such as seeds, dairy and vegetables. The Netherlands is home to the world’s leading agricultural university, and many companies internationally collaborate or set up shop in The Netherlands to profit from this environment. The Netherlands government can use this asset to forge mutually beneficial partnerships and trade relationships with countries that have an interest in this expertise. Such partnerships are already being and can be further stimulated and supported at the micro-level, for instance by supporting placement and exchange of Dutch youth and youth from LMICs at companies that play a key role in the twin transitions that will build relationships between future professionals and leaders.
Vraag5
Thema’s en sectoren van de toekomstNu de wereld in transitie is om een goede toekomst voor ons en de generaties na ons te bewerkstelligen verandert de focus van bedrijven, overheid en kennisinstellingen.
5. Op welke thema’s of sectoren ziet u kansen om internationaal te ondernemen?
(EN)
Themes and sectors of the future
The focus of companies, governments and knowledge institutions is changing in light of the global transition to ensure a bright future for current and future generations.
5. In which themes or sectors do you see opportunities for international enterprise?
Investing in the transformation of food systems that lead to balanced outcomes in the areas of socio-economic development, environmental sustainability (including climate resilience) and food and nutrition security is a key challenge and opportunity for the future. With its wealth of expertise and knowledge particularly in the agrifood sector, as well as in related sectors, The Netherlands has much to offer globally in this transition towards more sustainable and healthy production and consumption of food. Within this domain, many specific opportunities may be identified further, together with stakeholders. Partners in the NFP network, for example, work in sectors such as seeds, dairy, horticulture, healthy soils; the most innovative stakeholders in those sectors also integrate ecological and social sustainability dimensions in their business models (e.g. applying circular approaches, enabling the protein transition, fostering youth and women entrepreneurship, developing system resilience to conflict or to climate change, enabling healthier food environments, and many more).
Vraag6
Samenwerking publiek-privaat en rol Midden en Klein Bedrijf (MKB)Een succesvolle aanpak op het gebied van internationale handel vraagt samenwerking tussen burgers, bedrijven, maatschappelijke organisaties en de overheid. Het is nuttig om aan te sluiten op de behoeftes van de markt. Waar zijn bedrijven (specifiek het MKB) mee geholpen om de exportkracht en innovatiekracht te vergroten?
6. Hoe kan de overheid het bedrijfsleven (specifiek het MKB) dat internationaal onderneemt (of dat zou willen) beter ondersteunen om zaken te doen in het buitenland?
a. Welke ondersteuning hebben bedrijven nodig om internationaal succesvol te zijn op terreinen van digitale innovatie (innovatiesamenwerking) en verduurzaming?
b. Voor handel met welke landen (of regio’s of markten) zou ondersteuning moeten zijn?
c. Wat zou de overheid op het gebied van handelsbevordering niet meer moeten doen?
(EN)
Public-private cooperation and role of SMEs
A successful approach to international trade requires cooperation between the public, companies, civil society and government. It is also useful to align with market demand. What would help companies, and SMEs in particular, to increase their export performance and innovative capacity?
6. How can the government better support companies (and SMEs specifically), that are doing or wish to do business abroad?
a. What type of support do companies need in order to achieve international success in the areas of digital innovation (innovation partnerships) and sustainability?
b. For what countries, regions or markets should the government provide private sector support?
c. What type of trade promotion activities should the government stop doing?
Consultation meeting hosted by NFP on 5 April 2022 resulted in relevant recommendations in this domain from participants in its network. They recommended that Dutch policy instruments for Public-Private Partnerships and for development investment should create better conditions for agrifood SMEs from LMICs and Netherlands to access (smaller size) grants and loans facilities. Currently these instruments are geared too much to supporting large companies. Private sector support should be based on priorities set in collaboration with LMIC actors and governments. Dutch embassies can play a coordinating role here.
Vraag7
OntwikkelingssamenwerkingDevelopment cooperation
Nederlandse inzet op Ontwikkelingssamenwerking
Nederland is op verschillende thema’s actief op gebied van ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Zo investeren we in het realiseren van de Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) en zetten we extra in op opvang in de regio, toegang tot vaccins, klimaatadaptatie en -mitigatie. Nederland gaat door met wat goed gaat en focust op waar Nederland goed in is, zoals verbinding tussen diplomatie en ontwikkelingssamenwerking. Meer informatie over het ontwikkelingssamenwerkingsbeleid van Nederland is te vinden op www.nlontwikkelingssamenwerking.nl.
7. Waar is Nederland op het gebied van ontwikkelingssamenwerking volgens u goed in? Op welke thema’s zou Nederland een aanjagende rol kunnen vervullen?
(EN)
Dutch development cooperation activities
The Netherlands is actively pursuing a number of policy themes in the area of development cooperation. For example, we're investing in efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reception in the region, access to vaccines, and climate adaptation and mitigation. The Netherlands will continue its efforts in areas where progress is being made and will focus on its strengths, such as linking diplomacy and development. For more information about Dutch development policy, go to www.nlontwikkelingssamenwerking.nl.
7. In your opinion, what are the Netherlands’ strengths when it comes to development cooperation? In which policy themes could the Netherlands play a leading role?
The Netherlands’ strength in development cooperation lies in its multi-stakeholder approach and its knowledge, capacity and expertise based approach. The Netherlands has prioritized food security as one of its four spearheads, based on where the strength of The Netherlands economic and knowledge sectors are. We support that the Netherlands play a leading role in this domain and would like to emphasize that from the perspective of food and nutrition security and SDG2 the other three spearheads of, water, security & rule of law, and sexual and reproductive health and rights are also important enablers of food and nutrition security. When taking a systems approach, cross-sectoral approaches between these areas of expertise are key elements to achieving sustainable (food systems) transformation. Combining strengths of The Netherlands through these spearheads supports The Netherlands as a leading actor in multi-stakeholder approaches.
In the previous two cabinet periods, effective multi-stakeholder knowledge platforms around these themes effectively helped organise and facilitate processes to take stock of emerging issues and for knowledge brokering. In the coming period, it would be conditional for sustainable impact, to enable multiple platforms to play a role in different priority areas, particularly in food security (as far as we are concerned); these platforms could (help) facilitate co-creating and aligning priorities of sector stakeholders, and supporting collective action processes to define priorities for action on these themes in focus countries of development policies.
Vraag8
Innoveren op OSNederlandse internationale samenwerking is flexibel en kennisintensief, we zijn vernieuwend. Zo ontwikkelt Nederland nieuwe manieren van werken en partnerschappen die daarna door bijv. de Europese Commissie en Wereldbank worden opgepakt of opgeschaald. De Nederlandse internationale samenwerking fungeert dus veelal als een creatieve en kennisintensieve incubator (een broedplaats voor nieuwe ideeën. Nederland is een relatief kleine donor, maar als lidstaat van de EU en via bilaterale hulp kan Nederland de zichtbaarheid van EU-hulp vergroten en additionele relevante kapitaalstromen generen.
8. Op welke manier en op welk vlak kan de Nederlandse ontwikkelingssamenwerking nog meer innoveren?
(EN)
Innovative development cooperation
Dutch international cooperation is flexible and knowledge-intensive. We are also innovative, developing new ways of working and new types of partnership that are subsequently adopted or scaled up by others, like the European Commission and the World Bank. In this respect, Dutch international cooperation is like a creative and knowledge-intensive incubator. We are a relatively small donor, but as an EU member state and through bilateral aid we can make EU aid more visible and generate additional, relevant capital flows.
8. In what other ways and areas could Dutch development cooperation innovate more?
As the IOB evaluation of Dutch food security policy (2012-2016) has stated: “There is great potential for the Dutch food security agenda to be more effective when a food system approach, the ambition of leaving no one behind, and local knowledge gain a more central role.” A food systems approach allows better alignment between actions for environmental sustainability, health and food and nutrition security so that trade-offs between these goals are minimized and synergies maximized. To achieve this, a localized approach is necessary that brings together stakeholders in sectors or areas in an inclusive process that builds on local knowledge of what is needed.
Vraag9
Een donor met durfDe Nederlandse internationale inzet is gedurfd, omdat we financiële investeringen koppelen aan onze diplomatieke inzet en expertise. We continueren thema’s waar we traditionele meerwaarde hebben: seksuele en reproductieve rechten en gezondheid (SRGR), water, voedselzekerheid en veiligheid & rechtsorde. Daarbij kunnen we nog meer gebruik maken van het diplomatieke gewicht van o.a. de EU. We investeren in systeemverandering om te zorgen dat we de SDG’s in 2030 realiseren. Met systeemverandering bedoelen we dat we de systemen die armoede en ongelijkheid in stand houden aanpakken.
9. Op welke manier/welk vlak kan Nederland als donor nog meer durf te tonen?
(EN)
A bold donor
Dutch international efforts can be characterised as bold, because we link financial investment to diplomatic efforts and expertise. We will continue our work on themes where we have always added value: sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), water, food security, and security and the rule of law. We will also make better use of the diplomatic weight of the EU. To ensure we achieve the SDGs by 2030, we will invest in systemic change, i.e. tackling the structures that maintain poverty and inequality.
9. In what ways or areas could the Netherlands, as a donor, be even bolder?
In the domain of SDG2. Even before the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the FAO SOFI 2021 report showed “In recent years, several major drivers have put the world off track to ending world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The challenges have grown with the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures.” (FAO, SOFI 2021)
Vraag10
Afrondende algemene vraag10. Heeft u nog andere punten van aandacht die u vindt dat meegenomen dienen te worden in de nieuwe beleidsnota?
(EN)
General closing question
10. Are there any other points that you believe should be included in the new policy document?
See outcomes consultation meeting hosted by NFP on 5 April 2022, which resulted in interesting recommendations for the future FT&DC policy from the perspective of food and nutrition security.