Dutch Export Academy - Trip to The Netherlands

08-04-2022

 Dutch Export Academy - Trip to The Netherlands

Dutch Export Academy Embarks on a 7 day Study Visit to the Netherlands

A 17 member delegation of the Dutch Export Academy (DEA) including entrepreneurs from fresh food, agro-processing, dried foods, seeds and grains, skincare and handicrafts sectors have embarked on an export study visit to the Netherlands.

The Dutch Export Academy is a training program for entrepreneurs and business owners in Ghana who wish to start or improve the export of their products to the Netherlands and the EU.

The five-day training course which was commissioned by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and organized in March, 2020 (11th -13th , 24th -26th March) is now finalizing the program with a practical Export Study Trip to the Netherlands from April 2nd to 9th, 2022, after a two year postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The training and exchange program is being implemented by the Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council and MDF West Africa,  professional trainers and experts on the various subjects relating to business, exporting and export readiness.

 

Monday

On Monday, 4th April, the 17 member delegation officially opened the program at the The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), having been received by Ms, Anne-Katrien Denissen. RvO is the government agency that carries out the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate policy. RvO helps entrepreneurs and organizations to invest, develop and expand their businesses and projects both in the Netherlands and abroad.

Later that same morning, the group was received by Ms. Afke van der Woude of the  CBI, Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries, whose mission is to support the transition towards inclusive and sustainable economies. This they do by strengthening the sustainability of SMEs in developing countries and encouraging exports of value-added products to Europe and to the local region of SMEs.

Through the Ghana Design Network, the group also participated in an insightful Packaging and Brand Design workshop organised by the Association of Dutch Designers (BNO). The expert duo from Qindle Innovation & Design, Ms Lian van Meerendonk and Mr. Jasper van Houten took the delegation through an exciting packaging and brand design session with tools and videos that sparked a challenging interest in the participants to make some necessary changes to their products.

In the afternoon, the group received a welcoming reception at the residence of Ghana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands. H.E. Kotia shared his insights on the mandate of the embassy and the representation of the Ghanaian community in the Netherlands. Together with his foreign affairs,trade and economic team, they shared more insights into the potential of Ghanain products in the Netherlands.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, 5th April, the group received trade information sessions at the Netherlands-African Business Council (NABC) which is the leading organisation for trade and investment facilitation for Africa in the Netherlands and GNBCC’s Dutch partner. NABC’s purpose is to inform, inspire, catalyse and connect businesses with Africa’s opportunities and to assist businesses in making confident decisions about when, where and how to do business in Africa.

On the afternoon of the 5th, a select few of the food entrepreneurs in the delegation joined a consultation with the Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP) which connects and supports initiatives by Dutch organizations and partners from Low and Middle Income Countries to achieve urgent changes that contribute to sustainable food systems and nutrition security and reach SDG2 by 2030.

Wednesday

Wednesday 6th of April, the delegation spent the day in Amsterdam visiting African Markets in the Amsterdam Bijlmer areas like Arena and Kraaiennest. The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to engage with African trade and business entrepreneurs in the wholesale and retail markets along the entire stretch. This gave them the opportunity to explore the potential of their own products on the shelves of Dutch markets.

On Thursday, participants had the opportunity to arrange individual business/ partner meetings with contacts they had built before the trip and over the week of the study visit.

Friday

The last day, Friday, was a trip to the Port of Rotterdam. This field visit is to expose the entrepreneurs on the shipping and logistical processes that products go through before hitting the wholesale warehouses and retail shelves. The Port of Rotterdam manages, operates and supports the continuous development of the largest port in Europe and is committed to increasing port efficiency and improving trade flows based on the strategic pillars of sustainability, digitisation and innovation. The vision of the port is to create a ‘cleaner and greener’ port and contribute to a healthier living environment for everyone, both now and in the future.

We believe that the training and exposure given to these entrepreneurs will help them re-orient their businesses, their products and services and ensure that all necessary certifications, standards and trade partnership deals are prioritised to fuel a better trade economy. We are also confident that the insights gained can be a catalyst to not only export to the EU but more importantly, export to other African countries under the AfCFTA.

Joana Chemel, GNBCC

Reactions to info@gnbcc.net or joana@gnbcc.net

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