Toespraak staatssecretaris Tielen bij opening Global Harmonization Initiative congres in Rotterdam
Toespraak van staatssecretaris Tielen (Jeugd, Preventie en Sport) bij het Global Harmonization Initiative congres. Het congres vond plaats op 25 juni 2025 in Rotterdam. De toespraak is alleen in het Engels beschikbaar.
Good morning!
And welcome to you all. To the very special City of Rotterdam!
Just a stone throw away from us, is the Port of Rotterdam. And I wonder if you know how many people could be fed every day just by the food that passes through this port?
I didn’t and I was surprised. It is 30 million people. 30 million. Every day.
Around 60 million kilograms of food passes the port of Rotterdam every day. Making it a critical gateway for the import and export of food across Europe – and far beyond.
So there is no better place to host the Global Harmonization Initiative Congress, in my opinion.
My name is Judith Tielen. I am the minister for Youth, Prevention and Sport in the Netherlands.
Food safety and the promotion of healthier nutrition is part of my portfolio. But it is also close to my heart. Because getting ahead in life, starts with growing up healthy.
Safe, healthy and affordable food on the table is 1 of the key ingredients of a healthy lifestyle. But we all know: eating healthily is not always easy.
It’s just like going to the gym. You know you should…you’re planning to… but then again… the couch looks so attractive. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
That is why we have to make healthy choices as easy and accessible as possible. That is why we have to educate and empower people - and especially young people.
To teach them that it is worth the effort. Because healthy choices make you feel good!
Yet today is about much more than personal choices in the supermarket or out of home. The topics you’ll be exploring during this congress reach far deeper.
Into the systems that shape our health. Our environment. Our future.
You’ll be taking a deep dive into the global food system. From seed to fork. And again, you’re in the right place to do so.
The Netherlands is small in size. We are limited in the land we can cultivate. And we are densely populated.
Yet we are a world leader in innóvative food and agricultural technology. And we are 1 of the world's largest exporters of agricultural products and farming techniques. Especially in high tech greenhouses and sustainable farming practices.
How is that possible?
It is not a position that comes from luxury. Our strength is rooted in one of the largest food crises in our history: the Dutch Hunger Winter of World War II.
After the Second World War, the Dutch government adopted a policy: to ban hunger forever. Making food security a number one priority.
Our government actively cooperated with farmers and the food industry. To support research and development. Leading to a significant increase in production. And to our current status of agricultural innovation champion.
Nowadays we are shifting towards sustainable food production. With innovations like vertical farming and natural gas-free greenhouses. Our research is now focused on reducing water usage, minimizing pesticides and improving soil fertility.
Just to give you one small example: thanks to advanced greenhouse technology, producing a kilogram of tomatoes in the Netherlands takes four liters of water. The global average is 214 liters. What an enormous difference!
At the same time, we aim to maintain high standards of food safety. For our own citizens. For millions of consumers across Europe. And for people around the globe.
Cooperation is still key. Together with our European Union-partners, we operate a strong, harmonized framework. That ensures that the food reaching our markets, is safe and trustworthy. Because consumer confidence is essential – and hard won.
Yet, we are all operating in a rapidly changing global landscape.The Global Harmonization Initiative reminds us once again of a simple truth:
Food safety doesn’t stop at national borders. In our world, animals, people and food are constantly on the move. And bacteria and viruses travel with them.
The covid-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of how vulnerable we are to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. Today, outbreaks such as Avian Influenza keep us alert.
And there’s climate change. Further rewriting the rules. With droughts, floods, and heatwaves.
That threaten crops and increase the risks of contamination - chemical and microbiological. Also, access to clean drinking water is under pressure.
The list of challenges may seem overwhelming. But I have great faith in our creativity and capacity for innovation to rise to the occasion – and to once again turn obstacles into opportunities.
Just like the Netherlands – and in different scales and paces - many other countries did after World War II. By turning a food crisis into a full scale food revolution. Through innovation, cooperation and a strong will to succeed.
This very gathering is a wonderful example of that spirit – where minds come together in search for answers. To collaborate, to learn from each other.
By harmonizing standards, By exchanging best practices, By aligning our scientific efforts.
So that we can ensure that innovation never comes at the expense of safety. And that safe, healthy and affordable food is not a privilege. But a global right. From the lab bench to the dinner plate. From seed to fork.
So ladies and gentlemen, it would be easy to let current crises discourage us. Yet my call upon you today is: Let’s stay positive!
History shows our capacity for change. We just have to put our minds to it and work together!
Thank you. And I wish you a fruitful and inspiring congress!