Agriterra announces membership at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines
17-03-2021Philippines - Agriterra Philippines strengthens ties to its Dutch partners as it officially becomes a member of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (DCCP). As an agri-agency founded by the Dutch agricultural sector in 1997, Agriterra has grown its organisation to spread the mission of strengthening farmers’ organisations worldwide with the end in view of reducing poverty through structural transformation in the countryside. Headquartered in Arnhem, The Netherlands, Agriterra operates globally and has representative offices in 19 countries like Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, Peru, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Philippines.
Some members of DCCP
Mr. Joost Mes, President of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, welcomed Agriterra Philippines with a warm message:
“It is due to the continued and unconditional support of members like Agriterra Philippines, that we as a Chamber, can continue to exist. As a Chamber, our principal aim is to bring value to our members in whatever way they may need it.”
Agriterra’s membership comes at an opportune time as the DCCP launched the Agri-Food Committee in February 2021 with the objective of enabling members in the industry to share information, connect and build partnerships, and address challenges in the industry.
“We function as a gateway to, a platform for, and the voice of the Philippine-Netherlands business community with the goal of creating easy access to new markets by strengthening this community”, Mr. Mes added.
Agriterra Philippines aims to play an active role in the Agri-Food Committee which initiates discussions on a wide range of agri-food topics including food manufacturing and processing, inspection and certification, agri-technology, and wholesale and retail trade. The committee also aims to cover topics ranging from market access to policy or regulatory restrictions.
With a growing network of agricultural cooperative partners in the country, Agriterra Philippines sees the social and economic potential of linking these cooperatives to Dutch businesses and establish stronger value chains within the agriculture industry.
“Enabling market access for farmer organisations and cooperatives is one way to achieving socio-economically strong and lively rural areas. This is one of the aspects that make our partnership with the DCCP instrumental”, Agriterra Philippines Country Representative Mr. Ben Lucas said.
Agriterra believes that agriculture is the key to reducing poverty in poor rural areas and that strengthening farmers’ organisations is a necessary condition for development. This is the experience of the Netherlands and many other countries over the last two centuries. By joining the DCCP, Agriterra Philippines aims to share this philosophy with other members of the Philippine-Netherlands business community while identifying collaborative opportunities for agricultural cooperative development. Mr. Lucas added:
“We at Agriterra Philippines are excited to be part of the DCCP network and to work more closely with our Dutch counterparts. We also look forward to sharing additional resources and information to DCCP through our own knowledge and expertise on agricultural cooperative development and the Philippine agriculture sector.”
Mr. Ben Lucas, Agriterra Philippines Country Representative.
For more information about Agriterra Philippines, email: philippines@agriterra.org
Facebook: Agriterra Philippines | Twitter: @AgriterraPh
