News Speech from the Throne
'Food security important in uncertain world'
A realistic and feasible policy that offers clarity and space for agricultural entrepreneurship in the long term, without new national heads on international agreements. That is what the Schoof cabinet has in mind for agriculture, as was emphasized again this afternoon in the throne speech. According to the new cabinet, the importance of food security in an uncertain world must also be recognized. About the manure crisis, which was mentioned as 'the most urgent subject for the short term', it was only said that an action plan will be coming soon.
The throne speech of the first cabinet with the BoerBurgerBeweging, and for King Willem-Alexander the first one he delivers without Rutte as prime minister, was more than ever interspersed with agricultural policy. Agriculture and nature are mentioned in the list of 'acute problems', between migration and housing construction, which according to the throne speech can be 'traced back to an overwhelming complexity of too many rules, procedures and control that has grown over the years'.
The cabinet wants to break through this 'with energy and passion, but also pragmatically and with a sense of reality'. "It wants to face problems that have been stuck for too long and to loosen them, with understandable, explainable and above all feasible policy." According to the Schoof cabinet, the starting point should be: 'What is possible?' There are limits to this, it was made clear: "Of course within the rules of the rule of law and with the honest message that the possibilities are always limited, for example spatially, ecologically, financially or due to staff shortages."
Dutch farmers are among the most efficient in the world
"The problem of the accumulation of new regulations is perhaps the greatest in agriculture and fisheries," according to the speech from the throne. The new cabinet wants to 'get rid of the polarized image that food production and biodiversity are opposed to each other in everything'. "It is precisely the combination of agriculture and nature that has made the Dutch landscape so beautiful for years. The change in thinking and acting that is needed starts with the recognition of the importance of food security in an uncertain world, and with the insight that Dutch farmers are among the most efficient in the world. That is something to be proud of and cherish."
It was once again emphasized that there will be no forced closure of businesses and that the actual state of nature and measured emission figures will be leading in the policy. Target management is a key concept and there is a stimulus budget available of €5 billion 'to make the necessary change'. There is also a separate budget of €0,5 billion per year for agricultural nature management.
Linda van Eekeres
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