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Accelerating sustainable food systems together

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October 16, 2019

Today, the Dutch government launches the Netherlands Food Partnership. Being a key partner of NFP, Wageningen University & Research wants to be an example for worldwide collaboration on agriculture and food issues. The world faces the great challenge of sustainably feeding billions of people. The Netherlands can make a significant contribution to this challenge thanks to its knowledge and expertise in agriculture and the food industry.

Sustainable Development Goal 2

Back in 2015, during the General Assembly of the United Nations world leaders agreed on 17 goals together, the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. One of these goals (SDG 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.) concerns sufficient and healthy foods for everyone. Recent polls shows that still 820 million of people suffer from a lack of food. At the same time, epidemics of obesity reach regions worldwide, involving 2 billion people. Another 2 billion people suffer malnutrition caused by an insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals in their food. Food insecurity is thus much more than ‘just hunger’.

Food is so close to our heart that it really merits a Dutch, Netherlands, partnership
Louise O. Fresco

Working towards solutions

Ending hunger and malnutrition is an enormous challenge. The Netherlands is worldwide acknowledged as a key partner to go to for collaboration on agriculture and food challenges. This position is based on a long-standing collaboration between governments, business, civil society and knowledge institutes. This is also where the NFP intends to play an important role, being a supporting facility that helps partnerships of different kinds to generate and implement ideas in support of SDG 2. WUR is one of the key partners of NFP and wants to give an example for worldwide collaboration of agriculture and food through this partnership. Jack van der Vorst, Director General of the Social Science Group, participate in the steering committee of NFP that will assist in the further implementation of the NFP.

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