68
JUN 2017
FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
The evolution of Dutch food and agricultural products has a long
journey,drivendistinguishablyby thecooperation from thepublicsector,
the private sector and academic institution. Wageningen University is
alsoconsideredacrucial player in foodandagricultural sector. In2014,
theuniversitywas namedNo.1University inagricultureand forestry by
QSWorldUniversityRankings.
Global Leader inAgri-Food Industry
Holland’s agricultural exports in 2015worth € 82.4 billion
1
, andmost of
theproducts (77%)delivered to theEuropeanUnion (EU)withGermany
as the biggest importer
2
. Prominent exports
3
include ornamental plants
(€ 8.1 billion), meat (€ 8 billion), dairy products (€ 7.7 billion), fruit and
vegetable (€ 6.1billion) and fat andoil (€4.9billion).
Theagricultural and livestock industryaccounts for about 9%of the
country’s GDP
4
. As of 2014, there are more than 65,505 small and
medium size businesses in food industry, and 8 out of 25Dutch large-
scale companies are also operating in the sector
5
. In total, Dutch
agriculture and livestock account for about 8.8% of the country’s total
employment.
ProfessorDr. ir.AaltDijkhuizen,Presidentof theNetherlandsTop
SectorAgri &Foodand formerPresident &CEOofWageningenUR
(University &ResearchCenter) in 2002-2014, described theDutch
agriculturalproductionandprocessing industry in thespeechon “The
Netherland’s Top Sectors: Policy and Implementation” at Kasetsart
University recently, stating that the industry has three outstanding
characteristics; (1)highefficiency, (2)highproductivity,and (3)highly
academic.Thesecharacteristicshavebeenpromptingasmallcountry
like the Netherlands to compete in world’s food export market.
Statistically speaking, the Dutch’s agricultural production and
processing technology also yield 5-fold greater efficiency than the
European average
6
.
Public+Private+Knowledge…Together asOne
The Dutch agri-food industry faced with its threatening challenge
nearly 100 years ago when it failed, along with other European
countries, to compete inexports of theagricultural products against
thenewlyestablished theUnitedStatesofAmerica.Asaconsequence,
the public sector and the private sector were urged to join forces in
WageningenUniversity
&Research…
DrivingForceBehinds
theNetherlands’ Food Industry
SCOOP
The Netherlands is a small country with an estimated 41,543 square
kilometers of land, located in the north of Western Europe. However,
despite its size, it is the globe’s second largest export of agricultural
products, only after the United States. Its share in world food and
agricultural market is as high as 7.5%.
Professor Dr. ir.Aalt Dijkhuizen
