You don’t want to spend all day in the office

The Netherlands is perhaps the only country that has a special group in the embassy in Budapest responsible for the agricultural field, the development of agricultural economic relations. The embassy in Budapest underwent a diplomatic makeover this year, at the same time beginning its four-year mission as a new planter.

Quinn van Jenken He arrived in Hungary in August. Among other things, he visited the Farmers’ Day in Polna and Omek, and also took part in the diplomatic harvest.

Attending professional events is an integral part of the job of attaches, but their daily tasks point in a different direction.

“I know we are the only foreign mission in Hungary focused on agricultural economics with a separate working group,” says Koen van Jenken. – We have established a very good cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, and currently we mainly share our ideas on the Common Agricultural Policy. Both countries are working on a national strategic plan for the years 2023-2027, and the great challenge for both of us is to be able to implement it before the end of the year. For example, this is one of the areas in which, of course, we are very interested in the decisions that other member states make. Within the framework of cooperation, we share our dilemmas and listen to our fellow Hungarians about how they think about different topics, exchange information and learn from each other.

Of course, this exchange of information is not stuck with the CAP.

The countries are also exchanging views on farm-to-fork strategy, animal welfare and other policy areas, as we all face similar challenges.

For example, the issue of protein nutrition is now on the agenda, as Europe wants to find more sustainable protein sources than it is now. We Dutch want to know what other countries are doing and how we can learn from whom.

The appendix is ​​also responsible for building working relationships:

– We are trying to figure out how to create win-win situations on some agricultural issues, for example by connecting Dutch companies with Hungarian companies. We are also working on how to connect a knowledge center such as the University of Wageningen with the universities and research institutes here for the benefit of both.

In addition, the embassy’s agro-food group is responsible for sharing any news or measures relating to the Hungarian agricultural sector with participants in the Dutch agricultural economy that may be of interest to them.

The weekly newsletter outlines opportunities for Dutch companies related to the food chain.

“In a way, we ourselves as journalists are a bit.” We not only translate articles about events in the Hungarian agri-food sector, but we also write about what might be important to the Netherlands, both politically and economically, and what opportunities they might represent for both research institutions and companies.

Despite the significant differences in the production intensity of Dutch and Hungarian agriculture, there are many areas where countries face similar challenges, only considering climate change or biodiversity loss.

Production in the Netherlands is very intensive and we have to constantly innovate because we have reached the maximum capacity of the land available. This intensive production requires us to constantly search for technologies that have the lowest possible emissions of carbon dioxide.

We have developed many new technologies and conducted a lot of research, the results of which can be useful to other countries if they face similar challenges as we do.

So yes, there are differences, but there are also commonalities and common challenges, and we try to help us work together to overcome common challenges.

The Dutch Agricultural Diplomacy Network covers more than 40 countries, including countries in Africa, Asia and South America. One of the main concerns of Hungarian farmers is that, under pressure from green organizations, large and intensive cattle or pig farms in the Netherlands will be closed and moved to Hungary. Koen van Jenken sees the situation differently.

Dutch farmers carry out their work in all areas according to the law, whether it is in the European Union or the National. This is undeniable, no matter how assertive some professional organizations have expressed in the public debate about the sustainability of agriculture. But if farmers no longer see room to expand at home, they can even move here – or to another country.

I think the farmers here can see this as an opportunity, because those who invest their capital here bring with them a lot of knowledge, from which Hungary can benefit mentally and financially.

In any case, I don’t think half of the Netherlands will decide to move its production here tomorrow. There are some Dutch farmers who have been farming in Hungary for 15-20 years, but they are already part of the Hungarian society. So there is already someone who has started farming here. Others, for example, are in Canada, because there are larger areas – and still others are in the Netherlands. It is always easier to do business in our country, in our mother tongue, in an economic environment that we fully understand and understand.

I don’t see the economic risk as a real danger to Hungarian agriculture either, because everyone who grows here must follow the rules and laws here, that is, farmers who move here cannot expect special treatment.

If there is no cooperation but local competition between local farmers, this is an opportunity for everyone to improve the efficiency of their production.

Immediately after his arrival, Koen van Ginneken also visited Bábolna Farmers’ Days and OMÉK. As he says, he found both exhibitions to be a really interesting and useful introduction to the Hungarian agricultural sector, as “everyone was there” at these fairs. He met with representatives of the Ministry, as well as with employees of the Chamber of Agriculture and other professional organizations, as well as farmers.

– It was a very useful period for me, because I immediately got into the thick of the profession. I can hear the current problems and tasks of the sector in Hungary, so I can get an idea of ​​how to get the most out of the relationship between the two countries, whether it’s for young people to become farmers or for technical upgrading. These topics are also on the agenda in the Netherlands. I was also introduced to – though still familiar with – Hungarian gastronomy.

Have lunch or dinner together, for example, tasting brandy is always a good way to build or deepen relationships.

Speaking of his plans, Koen van Jenken first mentioned precision farming, which is also very important at the political level in the Netherlands. Many Dutch companies are active in using new technologies because they see them as key to increasing profitability and sustainable production.

We see great value in precision farming. Not only because its name sounds good, but we really want to show how precision farming works in practice. I know there are people in Hungary who are already using such technologies, but we want to find a way for the Netherlands to contribute to their further spread. Next year, we plan to focus on preventing food waste. We consider it a very serious problem that affects the food economy as a whole, from the production of raw materials to restaurants.

We are looking for ideas and want to show our own solutions.

The Embassy will continue the administrative negotiations related to the CAP in 2022, but will also organize a number of presentations, factory visits, seminars and workshops for Hungarian producers. Holland is already in full swing for the opening of Floriade. The ten-year horticultural exhibition was scheduled to be postponed in 2020, but will be held next April, with its main theme being a sustainable green city. In Koen van Ginneken’s view, this is an issue of increasing importance in Hungary as well.

– We hope we can spark interest in the exhibition. To this end, we organize the visit to Floriade ourselves for some of our professional partners.

I also hope that we can make progress in many of these areas. Of course, it is always good to discuss and give lectures on the most interesting topics, but my goal is to achieve practical results in the field of agriculture and food economy in relation to the producers of both countries and countries. . I hope that looking at the next four years, I can proudly say that the result of my work is that both my Hungary and the Dutch agri-food sector have improved.