Column Pieter Vos: Selfish countries

World crises like the Corona crisis and the war in Ukraine are exposing our weaknesses painfully in a short time. There are problems with gas and oil supplies. A huge wheat shortage is looming. Prices skyrocket and people start hoarding. For a while there was no sunflower oil left.

There seems to be no unambiguous approach within the European Union. There was no such approach on the corona policy, and there is none now on the sanctions to be taken against Russia. Countries are retreating behind their own borders. Every country thinks of itself first. Trump's 'America first' has spread to the countries of Europe. They are all putting it into practice for their own countries. 

What happens on a macro level, you can also see on a smaller scale. In your company. As the person with the final responsibility and as an employee, you take care of your own business. You make sure that you have sufficient stocks. As long as you have enough to ensure that your own production and deliveries are not at risk. It wouldn't be right if you didn't do that. You also fight for yourself, your partner, your family. In other words: if we do it ourselves, it is a positive action, but if others do it, we question it. 

Can it be done differently? Can we break through this? Or do we just like it this way? 

The new world we have entered is a world in constant crisis or uncertainty. That requires different skills from us. A different vision. Swift and agile leadership. Build a team that can adapt continuously and build (on) an organisation that takes its responsibility.

Pieter Vos
Director Nutrilab