The third story line of IFAMA2020 goes Digital is about Dutch agriculture.
“How did the Netherlands become so innovative? And how did this small country become second exporter – after the US and before Brazil, Germany, and France? That is quite an achievement as a tiny country, just a stamp next to the North Sea." With these words anchor Dick Veerman introduces the story line ‘Dutch Agriculture’.
Dutch experts - a historian, two economists, an agronomist, and a sociologist - will give their answers to the question how agriculture evolved over centuries of history. The Netherlands have a unique position in a delta by the sea connected to markets and agricultural production areas. They will also share their views on the future of Dutch agriculture.
We cannot go on increasing total output, and still make money. "That is why we need a new S-curve. This tiny country needs to reinvent itself, based on the competencies it developed over time,” says Dick Veerman for starters. Is that true?
What would you like to learn? Please share your questions in the comments below so that the experts can respond to them in the interviews.
Next to the English version, a Dutch version will be on in multiple editions. The result of that series will be presented in English as well. We hope to set an example for other countries to reflect on the histories of their agricultural roots to better understand the present and the challenges of the future.
Dutch experts - a historian, two economists, an agronomist, and a sociologist - will give their answers to the question how agriculture evolved over centuries of history. The Netherlands have a unique position in a delta by the sea connected to markets and agricultural production areas. They will also share their views on the future of Dutch agriculture.
We cannot go on increasing total output, and still make money. "That is why we need a new S-curve. This tiny country needs to reinvent itself, based on the competencies it developed over time,” says Dick Veerman for starters. Is that true?
What would you like to learn? Please share your questions in the comments below so that the experts can respond to them in the interviews.
Next to the English version, a Dutch version will be on in multiple editions. The result of that series will be presented in English as well. We hope to set an example for other countries to reflect on the histories of their agricultural roots to better understand the present and the challenges of the future.
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Jeroen, management initiates. Next question?
#19 What I'm saying is that what is the definition of the cooperation. Where lies the real decision making, who has the power?
I Think I don't know how to read this sentence of DOC:
Our ambition is to grow in a number of selected international markets and to be in control over the complete supply chain.
What is in control when you have a strategic partner? Especially when that is a private company. Who get's what part of the revenue / profit?
And that fits by the end of #21 from Jur
Yes, Dick, I suppose I can agree with your first paragraph.
As regards the question of who takes the initiative, I suppose it is the management that comes up with these ambitiouos expansion and investment ideas. No doubt such plans have to be approved by the members' council (since in the end, it is the members who are, or are supposed to be, in the driving seat of a cooperative), and that is where push comes to shove: how are these strategic investment decisions discussed, who organises and leads those discussions?
Jur #17, as far as the Dutch cooperatives are concerned, would you agree on this: the cooperatives' processing facilities have reached a scale and exports farmers can't follow? That's why the set up processing plants elsewhere in the world, pretending their members at home are stakeholders in a kind of private fund. The question is: how much is the board of payed directors making on their investments?
And there's another question: who's initiative usually is it (and for what reason), to set up a processing shop elsewhere?
So Jeroen, are you suggesting that DOC and Graafstroom aren't cooperatives any longer?
In case they aren't, that is not what they say on their websites. And obviously, they sure are coops.
They'll sell milk or ingredients to fully commercial dairy processors, like A-ware. Why? They can't make sufficient profitable turnover in final products. If that is the case indeed, their members produce more milk than their own commercial lines need. For some reason ... Do you mean that reason needs to be discussed?