Food security policy

Food security as an important part of their agenda in 2012-2015

Four main objectives:

• increased sustainable agricultural production,
• access to better nutrition,
• more efficient markets, and
• a better business climate

 

Budget:

The policy letter indicated that the total annual direct expenditure on food security is expected to rise from €160 million in 2011 to €435 million in 2015. About one third of the budget for food security (operational objective 4.1) will be used for private sector development. On the other hand, part of the budget for private sector development (operational objective 4.3), growing from 335 m€ in 2011 to an expected 434 m€ in 2015, will contribute to food security. It is thus expected that some projects will have food security as explicit objective, with impact hopefully measureable in 2015, while other projects will have business climate and private sector development as preconditions for food security, as explicit objectives, of which the food security impact may not be measureable in 2015.  

There is an overall focus on the consumption as well as the access and gaining availability through production. 

Yes, since a couple of years the Dutch government (mostly Economic Affairs and Foreign Affairs) publishes a policy letter on food security with a focus on the international level, the most recent one in November 2014. Food security is also regularly discussed in dedicated meetings between MPs and the minister of Foreign Trade and Development. Although mostly about food security, the right to food was also mentioned in the last policy letter. [1] 

In 2013, a brochure on food security was published by the ministry of Foreign Affairs. [2] 

 

[1] http://www.tweedekamer.nl/vergaderingen/commissievergaderingen/details?id=2016A00180 

[2] https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/ontwikkelingssamenwerking/documenten/brochures/2013/10/09/zero-hunger-zero-malnutrition