Jaimi van EssenMinister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
Born on 1 November 1991 in Enschede, married, 1 child
Party: Democrats ’66 (D66)
Strong agriculture and a healthy natural environment are partners, not rivals. My goal is cooperation and clear choices – providing economic prospects, restoring nature and ensuring future-proof food production. By harnessing the expertise and innovative power of the Dutch agricultural sector, we can get to work and move forward, together.
23 February 2026 Appointed Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature in the Jetten government
January 2024 – 23 February 2026 Member of Deventer municipal executive and deputy mayor, with responsibility for climate & energy, the economy, the city centre, international policy, recreation & tourism, and the environment
February 2019 – January 2024 Member of Losser municipal executive and deputy mayor, with responsibility for policy areas including sustainability, the environment, spatial planning, education, mobility and infrastructure
April 2016 – February 2019 Policy adviser on cross-border cooperation between the Netherlands and Germany and liaison for the German federal state of Lower Saxony; local and central government relations account manager, Governance, Finance and Regions Department, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
2022 – 2023 MSc in European Studies,University of Twente
2021 – 2022 Political and Administrative Management (postgraduate continuing professional education), Tilburg University
2011 – 2015 BSc in Political Science, Radboud University
