NVWA

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is a government body in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature. They are responsible for supervising the safety of food and consumer products, animal welfare, and the protection of nature. They involved Neurofied to deliver an interactive workshop for ambassadors of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training (DEI). The group consisted of managers, inspectors, HR professionals, and legal experts working to strengthen inclusion within the organization.

In the session, we focused on how people respond to change around inclusion, especially when it triggers tension or resistance. Many ambassadors encounter colleagues who do not yet see the value or urgency of diversity, equity, and inclusion training. Using insights from behavioral psychology and neuroscience, we explored what happens in the brain during friction, uncertainty, and bias. These insights were then applied directly to the context of the NVWA organization.

We worked with practical behavioral tools from our book The Dynamics of Business Behavior (actually the Dutch version Gedragsgericht Veranderen). Participants learned simple techniques such as social proof, growth mindset, habit formation, and reframing. Throughout the session, deep dives into DEI topics alternated with exercises and cases from their own practice. They explored patterns of resistance, shared experiences, and discussed how they can make a difference in their day-to-day work. At the end of the session, each participant formulated a personal action plan. This clarified what they can already do tomorrow to make inclusion visible in behavior. No large campaigns, but small interventions that make a real difference within the NVWA.

The session aligns with a broader movement within the NVWA to make culture and inclusion more concrete and tangible. If this format proves effective, follow-up modules can be developed for other target groups or other topics than evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion training. In this way, ambassadors within this ministry of the Dutch government are gradually strengthened in their role as drivers of sustainable inclusive change.