On 15 March 2022 drs. Piet Bukman died. He was extremely interested in the developments of the food-first programme and saw the importance of continuing dialogue in our society on the importance of the self-sufficiency of the southern hemisphere countries. In his policy as Minister for Development Cooperation, he strongly encouraged, against the trend of time, the so-called rural development programme (PL) and gave it wings. As Minister of Agriculture, he encouraged the involvement of his Department with the international food supply. In particular, it also promoted cooperation within the EU on this dossier at a time when it was not yet very much in bilateral relations.

After his presidency, Bukman became President of EuronAid, the major coordination of food and emergency aid organisations, which played a central role in the application and execution of the large programmes financed mainly by the European Commission. When the European Commission (DG VIII) decided not to cooperate with a umbrella anymore but with individual participants, Bukman made the remaining resources of EuronAid available to foodFIRST and thus enabled the launch of the current ongoing programme. At the discussion meetings, the so-called Vijverberg sessions, he was present to an old age and clearly speaking.

J. van Gennip, his predecessor at EuronAid and the founder of foodFIRST, expressed his appreciation in an In Memoriam for the cooperation with Mr Bukman, See [IM P Bukman].