The Food & Business Knowledge Platform and AgriProFocus, in collaboration with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, organize an expert meeting on April 2 in The Hague, marking the start of the initiative “Valuable Vegetables”. The meeting is by invitation only. 

This expert meeting marks the start of the initiative “Valuable Vegetables”, a learning initiative to boost Dutch impact in the international horticulture sector. This initiative facilitates so-called ‘learning loops’, mutually reinforcing multi-stakeholder learning trajectories with the aim to improve both practices and policies. The main agenda is to learn about the interventions and innovations that have worked for successful horticulture sector transformation, focusing particularly on vegetables. This includes the lessons about how to enhance the food and nutrition security impact and the sustainability of the sector.

The kick-off meeting on April 2 offers opportunity to experts from the horticulture sector to engage with the initiative and provide input for its agenda. The meeting is expected to result in a top 5 of priority challenges for follow-up during international and country learning and action.

Programme

09:00 – Registration with coffee / tea 

09:30 – Welcome

09:35 – The importance of learning from key horticulture sector investments
Opening statement by Geert Westenbrink (Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality)

09:40 – Presentation “Valuable Vegetables” initiative, followed by Q&A
By Nicole Metz (Food & Business Knowledge Platform)
By Annette van Andel (AgriProFocus)

Horticulture sector transformation: lessons from different countries & key challenges.
By Irene Koomen (WUR/CDI)                    

Experiences and lessons from practice in Asia and Africa.
Maaike Groot (East-West Seed)
By Maarten Hermus (Holland Green Tech, Rwanda)

10:40 – Moving to groups

10:45 – Group work “What’s in it for me?”

• Looking back: Most significant lesson from your experience, biggest challenge?
• Looking ahead: Top 5 priority challenges

11:35 – Towards a joint agenda for “Valuable Vegetables”

• Understand priority challenges from groups
• Short plenary conversation 

11:50 – Next steps and closure