Working area International: new and promising external markets

Focus on strength and opportunities

The Dutch agri-food sector is a global leader in many areas. Thanks to an excellent knowledge infrastructure, the natural tendency of companies to jointly develop solutions and an active government, the Dutch sector continues to take steps towards sustainability, food security and healthy nutrition. These steps are also expressed in the government’s mission-driven top sector policy.

This knowledge and innovations are not only interesting for the Dutch situation, they also provide starting points for tackling global challenges surrounding food production and nutrition. This not only provides new knowledge and sustainable, innovative solutions, but also an interesting international revenue model for companies. The Netherlands also profiles itself as an interesting location for foreign companies.

The internationalization work line focuses on stimulating international innovation cooperation within the EU and beyond, on the export of our knowledge and technology and on contributing to sustainable food systems and food security worldwide.

Our efforts focus on two mission-driven themes in which the Dutch agri-food sector can make a difference:

• Healthy and safe food
• Circular and climate-smart agriculture

Healthy and safe

In the field of healthy and safe food, the Dutch production chain has a number of important knowledge assets that are also particularly interesting for international application. We are leading in the development of alternative proteins, attention to healthy food, our processing industry and in food safety. The internationalization work line provides support in particular to internationalization processes in the areas of:

• Development of alternative protein sources for humans and animals;
• Development of ingredients, products and processes for a healthy food supply;
• Food safety in the chain and safe production systems without risks for the environment;
• Development of smart technologies (AI, robotics, digitalization) that contribute to the theme of healthy and safe.

Circular and climate smart

Major steps are being taken within Dutch agriculture towards a circular, climate-smart system. The knowledge we gain is also very interesting internationally. At the same time, the Netherlands can learn a lot from cooperation with other climate zones. The work line provides support for processes in the areas of:

• Development of robust cultivation systems (arable farming, aquaculture, commodity) on healthy soil with minimal input and efficient water use;
• Preventing food waste throughout the chain and optimizing the use of side and residual flows;
• Climate smart sourcing;
• Development of smart technologies (AI, robotics, digitalization) that contribute to the theme of circular and climate-smart.

What do we have to offer?

The International work line of the Top Sector Agri & Food supports the sector in taking advantage of these opportunities by:

• Profiling of the agri-food sector abroad, including the PPP approach;
• Co-organizer and track leader on behalf of the agri-food sector in foreign (trade and innovation) missions;
• Financing strategic grants and Seed Money Projects;
• Support in establishing and financing international PPP projects;
• Support in the development of international partnerships.

Focus on five countries and EU

The Netherlands is small and the world is big. In order to actually make a difference, in addition to a thematic focus, a multi-year programmatic commitment to certain countries/regions is also of added value. The International work line, together with agricultural councils and innovation councils, is currently committed to expanding PPP collaboration with the following countries/regions:

• India
• Japan
• United States and Canada
• Vietnam Mekong Delta (together with Top Sectors Water, Logistics and Horticulture & Propagation Materials)
• Colombia
• EU

It should be noted that this is not an exclusive focus. Activities can also be developed through our projects in other countries if interesting opportunities arise that match the themes. In addition, all countries in the networks of innovation attachés and agricultural councils are important as follow-up countries of the Top Sector.
The above countries/regions have been selected on the basis of the opportunities for internationalization, added value of additional public-private efforts in the country, degree of interest in one or more spearheads of the Top Sector Agri & Food, degree of interest in the market from the Netherlands and market characteristics.

Seed Money projects

The Seed Money Projects assigned by the TKI Agri & Food are an important tool. Through these projects, small and medium-sized enterprises from the agri and food sector are supported to form an international innovative partnership with a view to solving an international problem or exploiting opportunities. Apart from that, the Top Sector annually supports a number of strategic trade fairs and help to give direction to international missions.