10th anniversary

This year Agriterra celebrates its tenth anniversary. We will avail ourselves of this jubilee to ask attention for our method of agricultural development cooperation. It is possible, necessary and it works! In June, we organised an event for a broad public, in which our programme “Farmers against Poverty’ was at the centre stage.

We have opted for a specific component of all rural activities, which is cattle breeding – and in relation with this dairy production, entrepreneurship and innovation. With the support of the NRM Foundation, we were present with a large pavilion at the National Cattle Manifestation in Utrecht on June 27 and 28. Here we held the prize giving ceremony of the Business Plan Contest for the most original, sustainable and practicable proposal contributing to the development of rural areas and their inhabitants in developing countries. In collaboration with Veepro Holland we also organised an international seminar, in which we established the link between typical topics relating to cattle breeding such as sustainability and health and the situation elsewhere in the world. And together with the Dutch agricultural and horticultural organisations we set up a three days farmers' tour (Toer-de-Boer). Together with colleagues from the Netherlands the representatives of cattle improvement organisations and dairy cooperatives from developing countries visited organisations and farms in the context of a programme full including a lot of debate and information exchange.

Meanwhile we are over halfway to the Millennium Development Goals, the eight international commitments to halve poverty in the world by 2015 and to achieve true progress with regard to sustainable development. Agriterra is convinced that an organised rural population is the key to reducing poverty and hunger in the world. Meanwhile we also see that we are not standing alone any longer in this regard, but that we have been able to convince many people. We are proud to show the results of our work. And given the theme that we have selected, we also have something to offer for those who are more interested in developments in the world of cattle breeding.

You will find more detailed information on the programme of the week of June and about the proceedings on the different pages.

Our jubilee activities were made possible by the Foundation NRM, Alfa Accountants en Adviseurs, Rabobank Foundation, VanDrie Group, Storm Creative Agency, VION, Bouwbedrijf Knook, Campina and Parantion. If you also would like to contribute as a sponsor to one of our activities, please take up contact with José van Gelder, Head of Communications at Agriterra, telephone number (026) 35 42 079.