Netherlands: ‘Feeding the City’ competing for title ‘2014 Dutch National Icon’

Dutch top sectors Agriculture and Food, and Horticulture and Propagation Material have submitted the joint programme 'Feeding the City' to compete to be named a 2014 National Icon. The competition selects three innovative projects or programmes which have the potential to contribute substantially to the revenue model in the Netherlands and beyond, and to have great social impact. Selected projects will enjoy Dutch government support in the form of international exposure. 'Feeding the City' is inspired by Meiny Prins, CEO Priva, and her vison on the Sustainable Urban Delta.

The world's population is growing rapidly, urbanization continues at a swift pace, and raw materials and natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce. How can we meet the challenges posed by all these mouths to feed? The Dutch top sectors hold the key. The Netherlands is a global leader in efficient and sustainable food production. If all agricultural land and cattle worldwide would produce the same yields as we see in the Netherlands,
global food production would increase threefold. And, perhaps more importantly, only a fraction of the water, fertiliser and plant protection products would be required.

Through the Feeding the City programme, Dutch top sectors Agriculture and Food, and Horticulture and Propagation Material use their knowledge and expertise to offer solutions for the social challenges that stem from global urbanisation and an increasing demand for food worldwide. The programme provides tailor-made solutions at the national, regional or city level that contribute to the production of more and safer food, with higher nutritional value and a lower impact on the environment. The programme aims to position the Netherlands as the prime brand for innovative, social and sustainable food production.

"The programme's strength lies in the cooperation between Dutch businesses, knowledge
institutes, and government," says Feeding the City ambassador Meiny Prins. "Far from being limited to the two sectors mentioned above, this is about cross-fertilization between all the different sectors. One good example is integrating residual wastes and energy back into the food supply chain, thus making processes more cyclical."

Watch the video (in dutch):

For more information:
Priva
Zijlweg 3
2678 LC De Lier
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)174 522 600
F: +31 (0)174 522 700
E-mail: contact.priva@priva.nl
www.priva-international.com