Our story
The way we produce, process, consume and waste food has implications on food security, public health, the environment, the economy and social equality. Considering the rapidly growing world population pushing the boundaries of our planet and the rise of hunger and malnutrition, our present food systems are not future-proof. More than ever before, cooperation between all stakeholders (government, businesses, civil society, knowledge institutions etc.) will be needed to contribute to an effective transition to truly sustainable food systems.FoodFIRST is a neutral and independent platform that brings together the government, the business sector, civil society and knowledge institutes. By facilitating dialogue and connecting expertise, we aim to inspire our partners to think outside the box and seize opportunities to conceive innovative and scalable solutions focused on achieving SDG1: eradicating poverty in all its forms and SDG 2: end hunger, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture.
About FoodFIRST
What makes us unique?
foodFIRST is a neutral and independent platform that:inspires an open exchange of views and out-of-the-box thinking in order to find innovative solutions to challenges in the food chain;
triggers an action-oriented agenda that builds on the strength and expertise of the Dutch stakeholders involved
stimulates cooperation between parties so as to explore (unconventional) solutions and to learn from each other
Our Goals
forge coaliations to contribute to SDGs 1 & 2
triggers an action-oriented agenda that builds on the strength and expertise of the Dutch stakeholders involved
stimulates cooperation between parties so as to explore (unconventional) solutions and to learn from each other
Read here about news and events:
September 5, 2022
FoodFIRST organized a Vijverberg session on 29 August 2022, in response to the current African food security concerns, particularly the effects of rising food and fertilizer prices since the war in Ukraine. According to Prem Bindraban of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), this is a wake-up call regarding the need for a rapid increase in African food production and the promotion of soil health through the efficient use of fertilizers, which is currently extremely limited in the majority of African countries. Jan Willem Molenaar of AidEnvironment presented the essential components for sustainable sector transformation and how to achieve them through the development of coordinated and inclusive processes.
August 3, 2022
Socires organised her first Socires Lecture on June 27th, 2022 in the House of Europe in the Hague, the Netherlands. The lecture was hosted as one of the Vijverberg Policy Dialogues. Pieter van Geel, chairman of Socires introduced the lecture. Hans Bruning, acting director of Socires, moderated the afternoon. Professor Haroon Sheikh of the Dutch Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) delivered the lecture followed by a dialogue with participants on "Geopolitics and the War in Ukraine: The Weaponization of the Economy and Food."
March 30, 2022
It is the first session of the year 2022 and, for the time being, the final session of our series on the external perspectives of the EU's Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy – a major component of the EU's larger Green Deal transition to combat climate change. Professor Alan Matthews of European Agricultural Policy in the Department of Economics, School of Social Sciences and Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland is the speaker for this virtual Vijverberg Policy Dialogue. He has authored numerous publications on agricultural policy, international trade, and food security.