The Netherlands
May 21, 2016
The Netherlands: Serving Self-interest Over African Farmers
In 2010, the Netherlands development aid policy officially shifted its focus from social development to economics and trade, with growing support given to private sector-led initiatives. As the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products, the Netherlands emphasizes both food security and water as priority development areas to form bridges with the corporate "Dutch expertise." This supports a model of industrial and market-driven development and stimulates agribusiness investments that threaten farmers’ long-term access to land and natural resources.