Groen = Green

Go to: website Green Education in the Netherlands

About Groenpact

Food security, climate change and the loss of biodiversity are major challenges of our times. Addressing the challenges takes a strong cooperation across regions, countries, and sectors. The unique Dutch network organization Groenpact aims to make an important contribution in this respect. Groenpact partners have joined efforts and work on ambitions of the Dutch green sector to address major societal challenges, accoording to the so-called ‘Dutch diamond approach’. Groenpact cooperation started in 2016, when Dutch green education institutes, the business community, and civil society organizations joined forces with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands.

Main objective

The main objective of Groenpact is to strengthen and renew the Dutch knowledge and innovation system, to be able to make a meaningful contribution to solve the major challenges of our time - at national and global levels -, and to strengthen the sustainable competitiveness of the Dutch green sector.

To this end, efforts are being made to:

expand the knowledge and innovation structure, linking education and business even more closely
strengthen the internationalization of education
promote lifelong learning, seeking closer links with other disciplines such as healthcare, engineering and ICT
invest in the enrollment of pupils and students in Dutch green education programs and related institutes.

In 2022, over 80 organizations are participating in Groenpact.

Solutions for global transitions

As a renowned leader and knowledge frontrunner in the green domain - agriculture, food production, horticulture, nature and environment, the Netherlands strives to play a central role in the global transitions we are experiencing and provide relevant solutions to the problems that this brings. We believe that sharing knowledge and innovation and strong cooperation are essential to the further greening of economies and societies and for the sustainable production of sufficient, safe and healthy food. In addition, such an approach is essential to CO2 reduction and climate adaptation, the preservation of nature and biodiversity, a healthy and safe living environment, and the creation of jobs.

Groenpact ambitions

In the period 2021 - 2024, Groenpact partners aim to realize the following specific objectives:

to strengthen practice-oriented research and innovation at the level of vocational education, as part of the ‘Centre of Innovative Craftmanship Green’.
to strengthen practice-oriented research and innovation at the level of higher education / universities of applied sciences, as part of the ‘Centre of Expertise Green’.
to facilitate the transfer of knowledge – cooperation on value creation, based on results of Wageningen University and Research.
to accelerate digitalization and technology in green education (all levels).
to accelerate knowledge sharing and application, for organizations involved in research, education, civil society development, policy development.
to accelerate education – labor market alignment.
to accelerate the internationalization of the Dutch green knowledge and education system (see international ambitions of Groenpact below).

The funding of the program is organized on the basis of contributions of participating organizations, and their interest / involvement in realizing specific objectives(in-cash and in-kind contributions). The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality contributes about 4,2 million Euros to the program annually.

Partners and governance

Different types of partners participate in Groenpact, involving all Dutch green education institutes, the business community, civil society organizations and governmental organizations, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Groenpact proudly presents its partners

Groenpact governance – as an ‘informal’ network organization - is arranged as follows. Participating partners from the business community, civil society organizations and governmental organizations, are at governance, strategic and managerial level represented by a ‘governance-team’. At executive level, Groenpact is represented by a ‘core team’, consisting of representatives in charge of overall coordination, communication and support team, practice oriented research and knowledge transfer, and the acceleration programs.

More information...

Acceleration Program Internationalization, this program aims to strengthen the international orientation and position of the Dutch green knowledge and education system (at all levels of education). More information about this system, please follow: Green Education in The Netherlands

For more information on Groenpact, its partners and cooperation, please contact
Jan Steverink: jsteverink@zone.college