Interview Lennaert Haanstra
'Important that young farmers are not forgotten'
Lennaert Haanstra (28) was appointed as the new chairman of Agrifirm's Youth Council at the end of August. The arable farmer from Marknesse succeeds Arjan van Houten. "For me this is a great new challenge. It is an opportunity to ensure that the opinion of the young farmer also has a stage in the sector."
Agrifirm's Youth Council met in the new composition on Tuesday 25 August in Theater Orpheus in Apeldoorn. Arable farmer Lennaert Haanstra from Marknesse has been appointed there as the new chairman of the board. In conversation with Boerenbusiness he talks about his ambitions and the opportunities and challenges in the sector.
Why did you take on the role of chairman?
"It was a great, new opportunity and a challenge for me. I have also been active in the Agrifirm Youth Council for the past two years and I participated in many meetings during that period. At a certain point I asked myself the following question: 'How can I get even more challenge and energy out of this?' The answer to that was the Presidency. It is an opportunity that has been presented to me and I am honored to fulfill this role and to chair a group of young, highly motivated entrepreneurs."
Why is a youth council so important?
"To give the opinion and vision of the young farmers in the Netherlands a stage. There is a lot of uncertainty in the sector and the feelings you have about this should not be kept on your own farm. It is easy to deal with everything at home. I can't help but kick about how bad things are going, but such a youth council is precisely the place where you can express your opinion, where people listen seriously and where solutions are looked at together. Here you can take the first step towards making a difference."
"In addition, it is also good for your own development. You take a look at another sector or a colleague and that gives you more knowledge. In my view, you get new energy and ideas from it and thus broaden your horizon. I notice that young farmers need to constantly develop themselves. Participation in a youth council is ideally suited for this. It does not matter which cooperative or organization that is."
What challenges do you see in the sector?
"I think the biggest obstacle in the agricultural sector at the moment is future prospects. In dairy farming there are uncertainties about nitrogen and feed measures, in arable farming we have to deal with restrictions in the use of plant protection products and pig farming is struggling with animal welfare. In short: everywhere you hear criticism of our beautiful sector and this makes it difficult for us to work, but at the same time everyone is also saying that farmers are desperately needed."
"If you already experience that as a young farmer, and have to develop yourself in such a turbulent world, then it is a major challenge to motivate young people to perform this wonderful profession. As a young farmer you will build a company and want this company to suit you. On the other hand, you also want to make sure that the things you invest time and money in will also pay off. It should not be the case that you think 15 years from now: 'I don't like this'. therefore a challenge to show young farmers a future perspective."
What opportunities are there against that?
"Consumers' purchasing behavior is changing and I think there are opportunities to respond to this with niche markets. There are also good examples of this within Agrifirm's Youth Council, such as a dairy farmer who lets consumers choose a cow themselves and then use the milk from that makes cow cheese. Involvement is very important. Of course not everyone can switch to this, because then it is no longer a niche market. But, for those who fit these types of concepts, it is a great opportunity. Of course, export and discovering new markets an opportunity to market our products, or to position your product differently in the market."
What do you want to stand up for as chairman of the Agrifirm Youth Council?
"My goal is to ensure that young farmers are not forgotten in the sector. Many farmers in cooperatives and organizations are on many boards and councils of cooperatives and organizations and that is logical and not wrong at all. Only on the other hand is It is true that the young people have to work with the situation the longest. After all, it is about our future. That should not be forgotten and young people should also realize that."
Kimberly Baker
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