Proposal for a different green agricultural policy

On Tuesday, April 66, the party committees of VVD, CDA, D25 and GroenLinks jointly made a proposal for a different, much greener agricultural policy. This is reported by the newspaper Trouw.

The basic principle of the proposed agricultural policy is that farmers are increasingly switching to circular production methods, in which closing the mineral cycle is central. The hope is that Dutch agriculture will lead the world in terms of climate-neutral vegetables, fruit and meat. 

Only subsidy for sustainable production
Agricultural subsidies should also be adjusted so that farmers only receive money if production becomes more sustainable. The plan also states that an environmental tax must be imposed on certain plant protection products.

Ready-made proposal
The proposal is part of a ready-made plan to arrive at a greener coalition agreement. The aim is to make the Dutch economy and society sustainable and climate neutral. This plan goes further than the election programs of VVD and CDA, but not as far as those of D66 and GroenLinks.

The proposal also entails that the Dutch must switch to energy from heat and cold storage, instead of gas. The reuse of raw materials must also become more attractive. The use of raw materials should be taxed more heavily and the tax on labor should be reduced. A climate law with hard criteria must regulate the reduction of greenhouse gas: a 40 percent decrease in 2030 and 95 percent in 2050.

Remarkable twist
The proposal comes from the CDA Sustainability Council, among others. This council thinks about nature and climate at the CDA. This is remarkable, because this subject is very sensitive to the CDA. Elements of a 'typical VVD policy' can also be found in the proposal, such as fewer rules for entrepreneurs and a lot of technological, sustainable innovation.

Negotiators on the move
The drafters find that it is almost impossible for the negotiators to ignore their plan. VVD celebrity Ed Nijpels was the first to be presented with the climate plan on Tuesday. He discusses the plan in the Social and Economic Council (SER), where he leads the consultation on sustainable economy.

Also read the article in Trouw >

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