Huirne: 'Seduce farmers to be sustainable'

Ruud Huirne, director of Food and Agri at Rabobank Nederland, wants to entice farmers to see sustainability as an opportunity. He will speak at the National Economic Agriculture Congress on Thursday 30 November, organized by Boerenbusiness.

How do you want to entice farmers to adopt a more sustainable approach?
"I see that farmers are increasingly concerned with sustainability. For example, the farmer is investing in sustainable production methods (such as machines that put less strain on the soil). I must admit that it is sometimes exciting to finance new sustainability projects. Financing proven technology is not a problem. Facilitating a farmer who wants to switch from conventional to organic can also be an uncertainty for the bank. It really depends on the entrepreneur and his business plan."

How can the government encourage farmers to go green?
"This could be done with innovation funds, which farmers can use to pay for green investments. It also helps if farmers who start innovative sustainable projects are temporarily exempted from certain regulations. Sustainable investments can also be made fiscally attractive, for example through green financing. The government should focus more on the forerunners and not on the idlers."

What can farmers do themselves?
"They can make a lot of investments on their own farm, but sometimes scale plays a role. Then cooperation is the motto. If farmers unite in collectives, it is easier for them to create added value. In a collaboration you can also divide the work better. focus on a certain element of their business operations, one on sustainability, the other on genetics. Farmers can then make a professional development together and take steps that they could never take alone."

"It also has other advantages. You can, for example, take a weekend off and distance yourself from your company. Then as an entrepreneur you look at your own company differently and you see things that you did not see before. External orientation is important. The coalition agreement of the cabinet -Rutte III opts for green entrepreneurship. Take this proactively and get to work before regulations are introduced."

What exactly do you mean by sustainability?
"For me, these are the three Ps: People, Planet and Profit. Think of improving soil quality, treating your staff properly, generating green energy, reducing methane emissions, working on biodiversity, grazing and improving the CO2 footprint, but also the proper valorisation of all this. It is important that farmers tackle this with strength and embed it in their business operations. If you do something based on strength and conviction, you ensure that it becomes a success and let you do not easily get discouraged in the event of a setback. Opting for more sustainable business operations is a choice for the long term."

Does sustainability apply to all agricultural sectors?
"Yes, it is necessary in all sectors, with the aim of guaranteeing your return in the long term and to work on your social acceptance. Pig farming has had a difficult time, but is picking it up now that the weather is improving. The dairy farmers are also working hard on it, and can, for example, add value to their grazing. The arable farmers have various programs to improve the soil quality. A lot is happening in the sectors, but the necessary steps can also be taken."

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