From dialogue to direction: what the Food Diamond…

Something struck me during our final Food Diamond Dialogue session on June 2nd, which brought together people from knowledge institutions, civil society organizations, government, and the private and financial sector - the so-called Dutch Diamond actors. As a room full of professionals from these diverse fields gathered to discuss how we can collectively increase our impact on food and nutrition security in low- and middle-income countries, it became clear how differently organizations within and across the Diamond perceive their roles and responsibilities. The dialogue showed the (obvious) need to improve the understanding between these stakeholders, but also the need for better understanding and alignment between organizations within the same side of the Diamond. The conversation was energetic, honest and at times thought-provoking. And it became clear to me that these kinds of conversations do not happen often enough.

Let me give some context. Between May and June 2026, NFP organised a series of structured dialogues, bringing together over 70 professionals to discuss Dutch international food and nutrition security policy. The series was timely: Dutch international cooperation is being rethought, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Directorate Inclusive Green Growth, IGG) is calibrating their food and nutrition security policy, and the Advisory Council on International Affairs recently published a report calling for a more coherent long-term Dutch food strategy.

Participants discussed key questions that are not often asked openly: whose food security are we actually talking about? When does the Dutch Diamond model add value in achieving food and nutrition security, and when does it not? What does equal partnership actually mean in practice?

What stayed with me above all: Lasting impact starts from local demand, and the Diamond is a means to achieve it, not a goal in itself.

The objective, the target group and the context of a country or region, should determine which partners add value, and when. That means starting from local challenges in low- and middle income countries. Once that local context is well understood, the next step is to look at what the Netherlands can contribute, and which ‘corners’ of the Dutch Diamond are best placed to add value in that specific situation.

Supporting the development of local Diamond equivalents in partner countries creates the foundation for that kind of equal and reciprocal collaboration. It also means that the Dutch Diamond is ‘mirrored’ to include international Diamond partners. Good collaboration does not happen automatically. It requires deliberate effort and time. So, we need to invest more in relationship building, trust and mutual understanding, both nationally and internationally. At NFP, we are committed to making this the standard: shifting from talking about partnership to actively building the trusting, reciprocal relationships required for lasting impact.

The conversations during the sessions also pointed clearly to what comes next: detailing out the how, with whom and where the contributions from all sides of the Diamond lead to more joint impact for the most food insecure. At NFP, we will be taking this forward actively, at country level and with partners across the Diamond. Several participants have already expressed their interest in contributing to that work, and we look forward to it.

If any of this resonates, I invite you to explore NFP Connects, where partnerships, communities of practice, conversations and events from across our network are shared. As next steps follow from the cabinet's response to the AIV advisory report, we will keep you informed.

These dialogues showed that bringing all corners of the Diamond together to critically reflect on the fundamentals, why we do this work, for and with whom, and how we create impact together, is both necessary and productive.
This is most certainly not the last International Food Diamond Dialogue we will organize. I hope to see you at the next one.

Download the full report of June 2nd and the preparatory session reports above and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.