In September of last year, 54 chairmen of Dutch and international companies wrote to the cabinet calling for a collective sustainability agenda for international trade. The result is this action plan, which is being supported by a large group of companies along with a number of prominent NGOs, trade unions and trade bodies. We are joining forces to work together in the coming years on sustainability within the commodity supply chains, coordinated by the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative – Initiatief Duurzame Handel. We are asking political leaders in the Netherlands to support our joint approach. Many important initiatives were set in place during the term of office for the previous cabinet and several improvement programs have started up in seven sectors, like cocoa, soy, aquaculture and tropical timber. It is important that these continue and that still more coordinated and results oriented work is undertaken in the coming years. Our focus is on commodity fl ows in which The Netherlands have a strong position. With a yearly turnover of € 37 billion and a direct employment of 61.000 fte these commodity chains deliver an important contribution to the Dutch economy.