SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
FOR THE FUTURE
m Steeds meer mensen
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WHAT'S NewS Issue 3 March 1997
info exchange
7
Growing populations, growing economies, growing disposable income - all of
these aspects of growth have direct implications for the food and agribusiness.
Increased prosperity almost by definition leads to increased spending on food.
As many economies world-wide continue the rapid growth that will make
populations eager and able to spend more, the F&A industry as a whole should
be looking at ways not only to supply those demands, but also to ensure that
F&A - BEWUSTER
PRODUCEREN
realiseren zich dat er een
eind moet komen aan de huidige snelle
groei in de F&A, opdat de natuurlijke bron
nen, die nodig zijn voor deze productie, niet
uitgeput raken. Wijffels is een groot voor
stander van duurzame groei en hij zal dan ook
niet nalaten zijn voorzitterschap van IAMA te
benutten om deze boodschap over te bren
gen. IAMA is bij uitstek het platform om nieu
we methoden en technieken te ontwikkelen
voor duurzame agrarische productie.
IAMA is one platform for initiating and
developing methodologies and technologies
which will allow us to have the best of both
worlds. 'I am not saying here that farmers,
food-producers, should stop using
technology to improve their product. What
I am saying is that given our doublé task -
feeding a growing population and
preserving our natural resources - we
should be sharing knowledge, building
knowledge. That is the key. We need to
gain more knowledge on, say, the
interaction between soil and plants, so that
rather than putting more chemicals into
that interaction, we input know-how to
enhance production. There is a whole range
of new knowledge and even new
technologies which can be applied to
promote sustainable agriculture.' This
doublé task is, according to Wijffels, the
responsibility of us all. 'It is my conviction,'
he says,that this world has ample
capacity to produce enough food for
everyone. The question is: how do you do
that in the most sustainable way. Given the
changing relationship and equilibrium
between public and private sectors and
between public and private responsibility, I
think IAMA has a rea! role to play. And the
fact that we, as Rabobank International,
are sponsoring the world conference is also
an indication of our own commitment to
the industry.'
supply can be sustained. Rabobank chairman Herman Wijffels is a passionate
advocate of the sustainable development concept and as this year's IAMA
president will be using this unique opportunity to get his message across.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
Ever the pragmatist, Wijffels believes
whatever business you are in. If you want to
grow your business, you have to have the
products available to feed that market. If we
destroy the means of production, then you
destroy your business.'
GREEN REVOLUTION
As a top banker in a tiny country which
still manages to rank third in the world's
I list of F&A exporters after the US and
France, Wijffels feels he is more than
qualified to talk about what 'modern'
1 production methods have achieved in
recent decades. 'It was called the "Green
Revolution",' he recalls. 'That was in the
1950s when we were developing a new way
of farming. Essentially, that green
revolution meant applying chemical
technology. And it was very, very
successful. Productivity and food
production increased considerably. But
even though this technology increased
productivity in the short term, we were
simultaneously endangering the very
resources essential to that productivity.'
Herman Wijffels: 'Private industry has a
responsibility to ensure the world food
supply is adequate'.
Not quite a buzz word in all the world's
^our corners, sustainable development is an
approach whose necessity and even
advantages are gradually winning more and
more adherents. But this concept, which
could easily appear overly idealistic, still
needs to be propagated if we are to feed and
supply the growing world population which
is increasing by around 100 million people
annually. 'I would even go so far as to say
that private industry has a responsibility to
ensure the world food supply is adequate to
feed every one and that it can be distributed
effectively, especially now governments are
also reducing their levels of intervention,'
Wijffels argues.
BUSINESS SENSE
Asked if this is not a luxury position which
can be easily adopted by people who live in
highly industrialized countries, he rejects the
puggestion. 'There's nothing philanthropic
about this concept. It actually makes sound
business sense. We're talking about growing
markets here where a business can do very
well indeed. But you have to think long-term
RABO JAKARTA MAJOR SPONSOR
The International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IAMA) was set up in the late 1980s
as a platform where both academies and business people in the industry can meet, share ideas, new
concepts and initiate developments. It organizes numerous activities world-wide, including the annual
World Congress.This year's event, to be held in Jakarta on 23 to 26 June, takes The World of Food and
Fibre in 2020 as its main theme.Flowever,as IAMA president for
1997, our own chairman Herman Wijffels will also be introducing the
conference with his view of sustainable development. Rabobank
Duta in Indonesia has already been working for more than a year on
organizing the conference which will attract the F&A top to Jakarta.
Maaike te Booy is the contact there. If you would like to invite a
customer to attend the conference, more information is available
fromthe Marketing Department telephone +31 30 216 2804.
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