How can we work together to build a climate-resilient future? This question was the focus of the workshop “Collaborating on Resilient Agriculture and Nature,” held last Friday, November 22. More than 90 participants from the financial sector, government, the nature sector, agricultural organizations, and research institutions gathered at Achmea in Apeldoorn to discuss strategies and concrete tools for a future-proof and climate-adaptive Netherlands.

Some highlights
  • Daan Verstand (WUR) presented various adaptation strategies: optimisation, adaptation, and transformation. He advised those present to focus on long-term goals, with NL2120 as a possible point on the horizon, and to work backwards from there to determine the actions that are needed now.
  • During the perspective discussion, Achmea, NWB Bank, LTO, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality shared their vision on climate adaptation and how the government, institutions, and the financial sector can reinforce each other in this area.
Six breakout sessions

Six breakout sessions explored concrete solutions for climate adaptation in agriculture and nature in greater depth (click on the title for the corresponding slides):

  1. Resilient open cultivation in drought and waterlogging conditions
  2. Resilient livestock farming in the face of climate change
  3. Resilient open cultivation in the face of salinization
  4. Data for resilient agriculture and nature
  5. The role of landowners in climate-adaptive land and water management
  6. Financing Nature-based Solutions (NbS)

The participants responded enthusiastically to the actions that emerged from the breakout sessions, and many indicated that they would proactively implement them.

"It is positive that everyone wants to contribute to solutions. What we need to do now is determine what the most important first steps are, because those offer the best chance of large-scale results." With these words, Bouke de Vries, management advisor at Rabobank and lead of the Business Cluster of the Climate Adaptation Working Group, reflected on the various actions.

Role of the financial sector

One of the conclusions of the conference is that the role of the financial sector in climate adaptation must be clearly defined. This can be refined in the National Climate Adaptation Strategy currently being prepared by various ministries. We see this working conference as the beginning of a powerful public-private community that will work together in concrete terms to achieve climate-proof agriculture and nature.
To be continued!

Initiators

The meeting was an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Products (LVVN) and the Climate Adaptation Working Group of the Platform for Sustainable Finance (DNB). NextGreen designed and organized the conference and is responsible for the report. The conference was made possible in part by the Life IP Climate Adaptation program, co-financed by the European Union.

Are you interested in the results of this workshop and/or other activities of the Climate Adaptation Working Group? If so, please email info@nextgreen.nl For more information.

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