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© cc photo: Hindrik Sijens
The agricultural system that the protesting farmers cling to so much costs 1100 farms every year. But only one way out can reverse that clear cut and save nature. That is an agricultural vision that does not care about the demands of the protesting farmers.
And yet there is a glimmer of light over the agricultural agreement, which in fact does not exist. The tunnel was long and dark. The nitrogen crisis has kept our country on lockdown for four years now. The Hague allowed itself to be held hostage by farmers on tractors. With a Minister of Agriculture in the lead, who put power in the hands of LTO Nederland with the words: “No agricultural agreement without LTO”.
Something about LTO Netherlands. It is a misconception that this club represents the interests of all Dutch farmers and market gardeners. LTO’s supporters only consist of growing, intensive farms. They are called ‘the stayers’ in jargon. Farmers for whom large-scale development is not the ultimate goal are dismissed as Ot-en-Sien farmers. Farmers who work with nature instead of fighting against it are expertly marginalized by LTO. Just like farmers’ parties such as the CDA and now the BBB.
This is the core of the problem in agriculture. Nitrogen is just a detail. This is one consequence of a wide-ranging environmental problem, which is indeed largely attributable to agriculture. Like the problem with phosphate. And with the water qualitythe water level, the loss of insects, the stench, the particulate matter, the threat of livestock diseases, the appearance of the countryside, animal welfare and erosion resulting in large-scale flooding.
Yes, it’s a long list, but the most amazing facet of the current agricultural system is yet to come. These are all consequences of a progressive industrialization of agriculture that is accompanied by an increase in scale. Economics and politics want yield prices for agriculture to be scandalously low. To make money, farmers have to cut back. That means bigger stables and more land with bigger tractors. After all, this yields more return per euro invested. But because the amount of land and production possibilities in our country are limited, farmers have to stop. That is almost 1100 every year.
Do you still understand? Yes, Mark van den Oever of FDF calls for a fierce struggle to maintain the status quo that deprives 1100 farmers of their existence every year. He himself is not one of them. He will manage with his thousand pigs and his 85 hectares of farmland.
The main beneficiary of this policy is therefore not the farmer, but the large-scale industrial farmer. And especially the companies that benefit from lending to farmers, the suppliers of expensive plant protection products, fertilizers, machines and stables and the buyers of agricultural products who never really pay farmers a reasonable price.
This all-dominant agribusiness also has the ‘farmer-friendly’ farmers’ parties such as CDA and BBB in its grip, as well as LTO Nederland. After all, the advocates claim to stand up for the farmers, but in reality they primarily stand up for the livestock. If farmers have to stop because they can no longer repay the debt to the bank because of the low yield prices, there are seldom protests. But now that the livestock is about to be tampered with, the LTO chairman angrily walks away from the negotiations.
And now there is nothing. But from this deepest darkness we finally see the glimmer of light that was always there. Because the V-word was used during the debate. The word that Prime Minister Rutte is so averse to: vision. During the debate, calls were made for a long-term vision for agriculture, and Piet Adema has promised to come up with this at the end of September.
However, a long-term vision can only be built around the key word: perspective. There has to perspective for both agriculture and nature. For both farmers and the environment.
Perspectives for nature means: a sharp reduction in the livestock population. Perspective for the farmer means: a right to exist. With fewer animals, a better income. And you can.
This is possible with a completely different agricultural system. With regenerative agriculture, where people work together with nature, instead of against it. Food forests, for example. A lot has to change for that. A lot. To work together with nature, a small scale is required. But there is a lot of farmland. Certainly to start with the current nature reserves. So more farmers are needed. Small-scale farmers.
They must be given the opportunity to invest in time. Because they can harvest at least as much per hectare as the current intensive livestock farmers, but it takes years, if not decades, before a food-producing ecosystem is fully balanced and mature enough to achieve top production.
The farmer has to change drastically. But also the consumer. He will have to follow a different diet. With less meat, maybe even with less potatoes and grains. Because they are not so easy to grow in a regenerative system. We have to give up, but: we certainly don’t have to give up on health.
To run such a small farm, a fair selling price is of the utmost importance. Yes, food is becoming more expensive, which means that the government must finally introduce a fair income policy.
The farmer, the consumer, politics, the economy, everything must change. And the one that’s really going to feel it is the all-encompassing, internationally oriented and capital-guzzling agribusiness.
It won’t be easy. But that was not asked. The question is: a vision with perspective. If the Netherlands were to approach such a system change as a Delta Plan, ‘not because it is easy, but precisely because it is difficult’, then there is a bright future for our countryside.
Marc van der Sterren is a farmer’s son and journalist
cc photo: Hindrik Sijens
2023-07-01 18:44:30
#Hurrah #bright #prospects #farmers #nature #Joop #BNNVARA
