Covid-19 has led to various effects. In the US the price of corn went down, as people drove less. In New Zealand the price of milk went up as soon as China mastered the crisis. But in general, Marttin says, farmers managed to keep production going. However in emerging countries that depend on food imports "Covid-19 showed us that some of the value chains have not performed as we thought they would perform", Marttin says. "Therefore we should take the opportunity to rethink value chains and go back to the drawing table. It doesn’t make sense for every commodity to have these long value chains." Long value chains entail big environmental costs. That's why Marttin stresses "we have to rethink those long value chains". In some places you'll inevitably need them, but where you don't need them, we'd better refrain from them as much as we can. Especially as the opportunity presents itself. Marttin: "I think there is a willingness now among the public to buy food locally. This willingness is very important, we have to use it."

We cannot afford not to do something. The cost of not doing it, is less food production. A lot of leaders in the world are finally realizing this
Nature costing
Rabobank advocates 'nature costing'. Unless we show the real costs - the impact on nature - on products, people won't change their behaviour, Marttin says. "We have to understand the true costs of nature for all of the products we consume. Now the public cannot know how much nature is in a product. Once we put a price on nature, it will make much more sense to explain where and why food is being produced and how it should be distributed."

Are politicians aware that this is a moment to rethink the food system? Marttin is worried by the fact they are programmed to restore normalcy as quickly as possible in order to avoid further economic decline. But instead, we have to create a new normal. "I hope we take the opportunity to create this new normal for food", he says.

To put a price on nature, a whole set criteria needs to be developed and all stakeholders will have to accept them. Who's with Rabobank on the way to its new normal? Marttin: “We as Rabobank are working together with other parties on the idea of a carbon bank. Farmers are like carbon managers. Therefore we have to support our clients to improve their carbon emissions. The moment you put a price on carbon you'll see a change in behaviour among farmers."
Is it it only about CO2? No, it is about much more - CO2, water, nitrogen, biodiversity and soils - and, Martinn stresses "access to proper regulations and proper logistics". It is about creating infrastructures that don't exist yet. It takes time to develop the whole set of design criteria and the logic that integrates them. "That is why we need to go back to the drawing table." On top of that Marttin makes a plea for a smallholder green revolution to feed Africa by about 70%. In his view smallholders can double or triple their current production and stay away from cities making a living in the countryside.

Marttin is challenging the IFAMA-community to come up with ideas to do so and to turn nature costing into a real life policy instrument changing the way all involved in the food chain operate
That's quite a different perspective from the industrial farming systems that have evolved in Brasil, Marttin's native country. “Food is very global and at the same time very local. You need to cooperate to make this global food system work. We need to get together and try to create shared value. Understand your common destiny. It is a challenge, but we cannot afford not to do something. The cost of not doing it is less food production. A lot of leaders in the world are finally realizing this. The sense of urgency is there. Nowadays issues like climate, ecology and food are big topics. If we don`t work together with the whole value chain, also with the consumer, it is not going to work. We need to double the food production and reduce the accompanying emissions almost to zero. For this we need to change the way we consume, what we consume and when we consume.”

Is it going to happen? We need to organize for getting organized. We need to sit down together and define what we want as mankind and take the outcome to the drawing table.

Watch the interview till the end. Marttin is challenging the IFAMA-community to come up with ideas to do so and to turn nature costing into a real life policy instrument. Changing the way all involved in the food chain operate, from farmers, traders, processors, retailers, policy makers and governments to consuming citizens.