Lobbying NGOs makes long-term policy difficult

The lobbying of NGOs and the response of politicians to it make the development of long-term agricultural policy very difficult, if not impossible. This is stated by chairman Wil Meulenbroeks chairman of the LTO dairy farming department in an interview with Boerenbusiness.

When he took up the gavel five years ago, he set himself the goal of focusing more on the long term, but the reality is proving more unruly. "If the government and politics are always focused on the short term, it is difficult to focus on the long term as a farmer or advocate."

NGOs have 'an enormous influence on politics', according to Meulenbroeks. Actually disproportionate, he thinks. "The problem is that long-term policy can still succeed in the relative lee of the province, but hardly any more in The Hague, where the morning news dominates the political impulses and there is the lobby of the NGOs."

This afternoon follows Boerenbusiness the complete interview with the chairman, in which he also discusses, among other things, the problems with business succession.

Linda van Eekeres

Linda van Eekeres is co-writing editor-in-chief. She mainly focuses on macro-economic developments and the influence of politics on the agricultural sector.

l.vaneekeres@boerenbusiness. Nl

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