'In 13 years, arable farming must be emission-free'

In 2030, the Dutch vegetable sectors will be an international leader in the field of quality and sustainability. At least if LTO Nederland achieves the goal it has set itself.

At the beginning of this week, LTO presented the Ambition Plant Health 2030: Healthy cultivation, healthy future. In it, the stand organization argues for further development of the worldwide leading position of the Netherlands when it comes to healthy cultivation. Joris Baecke, Plant Health portfolio holder at LTO Nederland, is very hopeful about the ambition.

What does LTO want to achieve with the 2030 ambition for plant health?
"The ambition is to make the Dutch vegetable sector an undisputed leader in the field of quality and sustainability by 2030. Sustainability is an eroded concept. I prefer to describe it as sustainability. This means that it is a good product financially and ecologically. We want to achieve not only quality, but also sustainability."

The ambition poses 3 challenging tasks:

• Healthy Plant: Crops that will be sturdy in 2030 and can take a beating. These plants hardly need to be adjusted during cultivation. This requires resilient plants that are less susceptible to diseases and pests.
• Healthy living environment: In 2030, the cultivation of food will contribute to a healthy living environment for humans and animals. Low emissions, healthy soil and increased biodiversity.
• Healthy market: In 2030, the Dutch product will be known as a strong brand. There is an increasing demand for sustainable products. The share of this on the shelves is growing.

Emission-free and residue-free cultivation is the goal. Are we not increasingly being pushed in that direction, because fewer and fewer resources are allowed to be used? "What we want does not necessarily mean getting rid of crop protection products. Our goal is to have no more emissions to ground and surface water by 2030. The goal is to develop a strong plant and a good soil life. With a strong resilient plant, crop protection products are need less.”

Aren't we already doing quite well as a sector? What do you think should be done in concrete terms?
"We are now reaching the limits of the current production. Look at the developments in the climate. Diseases and pests can develop better due to the heat. We want to move towards a crop with resilient plants and good soil fertility. measure with the 'Resilience Indicator' that is yet to be developed. As the Netherlands, we are where we are now. We have a leading position in the world. That is our strength from which we can continue."

And bottlenecks? They are certainly there in this ambition. 
"I see the availability of green crop protection products as a bottleneck. The cooperation of other parties, such as government and research, is also necessary for the success of this ambition."

Critics fear that the plan will make the cost price too high compared to neighboring countries. Do they have a point?
"It depends on the market for which they are grown. If growers can distinguish themselves, it opens up markets that can cover the additional costs. The market for sustainable products is growing. If we only have to rely on the cost price of the end product, we cannot compete. The primary condition is that entrepreneurs can distinguish themselves in the market through quality, the production process and more attention to the living environment. We can distinguish ourselves with this. And if anyone can do it, then it is the Netherlands!"

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