[Original title: Initiatief Duurzame Voedselvoorziening - Ontwerp voor een businessplan]

Summary

• Exploration, development and demonstration of system innovations in food supply that signify a leap forward in ecological terms (as a metaphor: by a factor of 4 in 10 years, and by a factor of possibly 10ñ20 over the next 25ñ50 years) as well as offering economic prospects;
• Enhancement of the innovative powers of the food supply knowledge infrastructure through the formation of new knowledge- and innovation-creating networks between farms, knowledge institutions, societal groupings and government authorities.

Through these activities this initiative makes a substantial contribution to the ICES (Interdepartementale Commissie Economische Structuur: Interdepartmental Committee on Economic Structure) objective: ëThe coexistence of growth, enhancement of competitiveness and employment with better management of our physical space, nature and biodiversity, and an absolute reduction in environmentally harmful emissionsí. In order to achieve this objective for the food supply, an investment stimulus of 94 million guilders is required, spread over 10 years, with 57.5 million of this coming from ICES funds and 36.5 million contributed by stakeholders. The initiative will begin in a modest way, with a ëgo/no goí decision to be taken in 2002 for the period 2003ñ2008.

The IDV component plan forms an integral part of the National Initiative Sustainable Development business plan of the Centre for Eco Technology (NIDO/KET: Nationaal Initiatief Duurzame Ontwikkeling/Knooppunt Eco Technologie). The other initiatives within NIDO/KET are focused on sustainable raw materials (IDG: Initiatief Duurzame Grondstoffen), sustainable energy (IDE: Initiatief Duurzame Energiehuishouding) and the long-term exploration of routs to sustainability (IVDO: Initiatief Verkenningen Duurzame Ontwikkeling).

Opportunities for a vigorous and sustainable food column in the 21^st century

The food production column is essential to the economic development of the Netherlands in the decades ahead. There are many different opportunities for vigorous development, provided the great weakness of the food supply system ñ the lack of ecological sustainability ñ is removed. The food column contributes considerably to acidification (ammonia), fertilisation (nitrogen and phosphorus), diffusion (heavy metals, pesticides), climate change (CO₂, methane and nitrous oxide), soil dehydration and reduction in biodiversity.

In developing new environmentally efficient food supply systems, win-win situations need to be created in conjunction with other tasks, especially in the areas of customer orientation, product safety, animal health and welfare, nature, landscape and social legitimacy. This will give rise to a pluriform food sector, characterised by multifaceted relationships with society, regional variety and diverse forms of business enterprise.

System innovations are essential for a sustainable food supply

Achievement of these tasks through gradual changes to existing systems is not sufficient: drastic reforms ñ ësystem innovationsí ñ are necessary. The degree of difficulty of this exercise should not be underestimated:

• It is not simply a question of technological modernisation, but also of changes in spatial and economic structures and changes in cultural patterns.
• The exploration, development and realisation of system innovations require new innovation-creating networks in which a diversity of stakeholders develop joint forms of action.
• The achievement of system innovations demands from businesses, knowledge institutions and government authorities a different way of behaving to that with which they are familiar.

Figure 1 Agribusiness can realise its strategies by carrying out comprehensive structural innovations: system innovations.

System innovations demand changes in the knowledge infrastructure

System innovations demand a coherent development of the three creative domains: (1) knowledge generation, (2) technology and skill development, and (3) innovation. This requires the transformation of part of the knowledge infrastructure from a research network into an innovation network. This means: more trans-disciplinary cooperation (problem ëownersí and experts, public and private); more design-oriented activities based on a long-term vision; more combining of humanities, science and social science expertise; and more synthesis instead of analysis. In short: enhancement of the areas of weakness in Dutch infrastructure identified by RAND Europe. A special challenge for the food supply knowledge infrastructure is the creation of new networks with companies and organisations outside the traditional food sector.

Challenging themes and projects

The IDV focus is on the primary production process as one of the links in a market-oriented food chain in combination with supply, processing and distribution, with relations to other functions in the rural area, in the context of international social and economic dynamics.

The themes that IDV concentrates on have two characteristics in common: they offer the prospect of improving environmental efficiency by a factor of 4 (as a metaphor), and are economically promising. The following preliminary classification of themes is proposed:

1. System innovations at farm level
   At the farm level, the development and application of a number of new technologies and systems offers many opportunities to drastically improve environmental efficiency.
2. Industrial sustainability
   The linking of recycling systems (including energy, nutrients and water) between the food column and other, industrial sectors, the utilisation of renewable raw materials, and the valorisation of residue streams hold out the prospect of considerable environmental gains.
3. Food supply combined with other functions
   Combining the supply of food with other functions such as nature, landscape, recreation, and the production of energy and drinking water offers numerous possible ways to contribute to the quality of life and tap new sources of income while at the same time significantly reducing environmental pressure.
4. International dynamics of a sustainable food supply
   Responding to shifts in international evaluation of business location, to existing market balances, and to the distribution of food raw materials and products in the world is necessary for sustainable development of the food production system in Europe generally and within the Netherlands.
5. Institutional innovation in food supply
   Besides technological modernisation, all the themes involve adaptations of spatial and economic structures and changes in cultural patterns. This theme has as its purpose a fundamental and coherent reconsideration of the institutions that are relevant to the food supply.

Project ideas are included in the component plan to illustrate these themes.

The IDV focuses on vision development, co-innovation and knowledge transfer

The IDV is aimed at:

1. Generation of vision. IDV addresses the task of generating vision, focusing on elaborating and giving substance to promising innovative paths towards a sustainable food supply. It builds on existing, developed visions from a diversity of sources, and does this, where meaningful, together with others .
2. Co-innovation. Three types of co-innovation projects can be distinguished. On the one hand, push and pull projects, which are generated from the developed visions, and on the other hand, seed projects, which can be put forward ëbottom upí by companies within the general framework of sustainable food supply. Participation by the business community in all co-innovation projects is an absolute precondition for success.
3. Knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer activities such as education, extension, demonstration and public communication take place within existing networks and those yet to be formed.

A small bureau as engine for the process, a platform as creative think-tank and a stakeholders group for support

An IDV bureau with five staff members, as one of the business units within NIDO/KET, will occupy an independent position in relation to the stakeholders and will therefore be able to act as an engine in a network organisation. The core activities of the bureau will be the facilitation of vision development, brokering and linking parties in connection with co-innovation projects, and bearing responsibility for knowledge transfer, communication and building a support base among stakeholders and the community at large. In addition, there will be a platform with delegated powers, with a membership chosen for its creative intelligence, appropriate professional expertise and vision. In tandem with this, a stakeholders group will also be established to build support among the most important parties.

IDVís added value will be expressed in results and innovation processes in food provision

The IDV will lead to:

• a number of themes in which system innovations show promise and can be taken up by way of co-innovation projects, with the business community taking the lead;
• real system innovations, tested on a small scale, that are taken up wholly or for the most part by stakeholders;
• new co-operative links between industries, knowledge institutions, government authorities and social organisations.

The increased knowledge infrastructureís powers of innovation that result from this will be essential to the economic development of the Netherlands in the decades ahead.

The support is there and a quick start is possible

It is clear from sounding out the stakeholders that there is broad support for environmentally oriented system innovations in the food supply system. Over 90% of stakeholders think that these sorts of system innovations deserve priority. Two-thirds of them would like to play an active role in this. In a workshop on the draft component plan the stakeholders unanimously supported the plan and were very enthusiastic about becoming involved at a practical level.

A quick start can be made by tapping into organisations with the necessary expertise and networks.

The need for a combined stimulus through an ICES investment contribution

Even though there may be a growing realisation among stakeholders that we must set out on the path to a sustainable food chain, the immediate short-term economic interests of individual organisations, combined with the complexity and all-embracing nature of the task that change presents, are an obstacle to the changeover that is needed. In addition, without the stimulating effect provided by government participation, cooperation on new innovative networks is very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. The theme of sustainable food supply touches on the policy provinces of many departments, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries (LNV); the Ministry of Housing, Planning and Environment (VROM); the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ); and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management (V&W). Hence the need for a combined interdepartmental stimulus within the ICES framework.

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