Toespraak Green Genetics Roundtable Meeting

De toespraak is in het Engels gehouden:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

When Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and I meet, we often talk about agriculture. The reason is that we both carry a 'genetic' burden - to use this morning's terminology.He is a former agriculture minister and my father was the director of a grain trade. This creates a bond between us.

Far more important, of course, is the fact that China and the Netherlands are both major agricultural nations. China is the world leader in the production of grain, cotton, rapeseed, peanuts and fruit. The Netherlands is a major producer and international trader of flowers, fruit and vegetables, seed and many related products. So in both our countries the agricultural sector and the food industry are very important for the economy.

A few facts and figures: the Netherlands is the world's largest exporter of agricultural products after the United States. In 2007 Dutch exports of agricultural products amounted to 59 billion euros. Dutch plant breeders alone generate a turnover of 2.5 billion euros a year. Their annual exports are valued at 1 billion euros and they employ 11 thousand people. This makes the plant breeding sector one of the flagships of our agricultural sector.

Both China and the Netherlands see science and technology as important ways of improving agricultural production. That is why we are here today. China's achievements in this field are impressive. The hybrid rice developed by Chinese rice breeding experts is one of the world's most productive varieties. That is something to be proud of, because feeding one-fifth of the world's population from an area of arable land that amounts to only seven per cent of the world's cultivated land is a major task.

My country too is proud of its history in agriculture. Not only in research, development and production but also in marketing, trade and logistics. Did you know, for example, that Dutch traders introduced legume seeds into China back in the 18th century? That is why they are known here as 'Dutch beans'. Since then we have continued to make our mark. Nowadays the Netherlands is a world leader in plant breeding and the production of propagation material.

Let me give you an example of a recent Dutch programme that ties in with this Year of the Potato. The notorious potato blight still causes many bad harvests throughout the world, and this seriously affects the food situation in poorer countries. In the West and elsewhere we use chemical pesticides to combat this disease, but they are expensive and bad for the environment. Researchers in Wageningen are now searching for resistant genes in wild potato varieties. They then transfer them to cultivated varieties through genetic modification. If they succeed in giving our potatoes long-term resistance, a major social and environmental problem will be solved. That would be fantastic.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is only a small step from Chinese rice and the Dutch potato to this important meeting. We are here today because we are convinced that we will benefit from working together in green genetics. We are involved in several projects together, as agriculture minister Gerda Verburg will explain shortly. The Dutch government strongly believes that there is no such thing as 'splendid isolation' in innovation. So I am pleased to see all the important parties from the green genetics sector in China and the Netherlands gathered here this morning: the two ministries, research institutes and companies involved in agriculture.

The Netherlands has great respect for the innovative spirit of the Chinese people. We all know that China is set to become a leading research and knowledge provider. Its decision to give priority to innovation is producing impressive results. And the goal of raising annual investments in research and development to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2020 is an example for all of us.

Knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship are also key elements of the Dutch government's programme and the Dutch business landscape. Our strength lies in areas such as water, environment and energy, the creative industries, information technology, life sciences and - last but not least - the agricultural sector.

One of the key areas we have selected for innovation is 'flowers and food'. We try to match supply and demand in these areas, from both a scientific and business perspective. Our goal is to build bridges between private and public partners, both in the Netherlands and abroad. In the field of flowers and food in particular, I am convinced the Netherlands has a lot to offer. In Europe 45 per cent of the applications for plant breeding rights come from the Netherlands. In China this is almost 70 per cent. And an enormous research effort is under way as the industry invests an average of 20 per cent of its turnover in research and development.

This brings me to my final point: the importance of plant breeding rights. Breakthroughs in research improve the wellbeing and prosperity of many and also provide inspiration. So in the end we all benefit from the work of the frontrunners. Acknowledging their intellectual property rights allows them to continue pioneering and to share their results. I believe that China's signature and implementation of the latest international agreements on plant breeding rights will give a tremendous boost to trade and scientific cooperation. It will also lead to the most exquisite Dutch plant varieties becoming available on the Chinese market.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I hope that today's roundtable will prove fruitful and result in even closer cooperation between our two countries in innovation in green genetics. I have no doubt that your dialogue will lead to new and important results. I look forward to discussing them with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on a subsequent occasion. So let's get to work.

Thank you.