News Nitrogen crisis
Farmer can wait a long time for future prospects
Despite farmers' protests across the country, the cabinet's nitrogen plans passed the House of Representatives almost unscathed on Tuesday afternoon. The House was able to vote on a series of motions about Minister Christianne van der Wal's nitrogen policy, but motions that advocated substantial adjustments to the plans did not make it. The motions that were adopted mainly related to the implementation of the policy and how farmers could be better assisted in this. In addition, all farmers must be directed to nature-inclusive agriculture.
While the farmers mainly aimed at an adjustment of the nitrogen policy and the goals with the massive protests, in political The Hague in recent days the emphasis has mainly been on 'providing perspective to the farmers'. A plan by agriculture minister Henk Staghouwer that was to outline this perspective was verbalized by an overwhelming majority in the House of Representatives last week. sent to the trash in the debate on nitrogen policy. The House voted today on more than forty motions that were submitted last Thursday during the debate on nitrogen policy. The motions by BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) and JA21 about a sharp adjustment of the nitrogen policy did not make it.
Caroline van der Plas, captain of BBB, says in a first reaction from the party that she is "greatly disappointed" by the votes on the motions. "It is very disappointing. Good opposition proposals are not passed, everything from the coalition is passed. It is exactly as I said in the debate last Thursday. We are going to have a long meeting and debate here and we are going to take it all in for the farmers and we'll just get back to business as usual. And that's exactly what happened here. But we keep fighting." (read more under tweet)
Long wait for future prospects
Farmers and horticulturists will have to wait for months to find out what future vision the cabinet really has for Dutch agriculture and horticulture. Parliament demands that it be known before Prinsjesdag (the third Tuesday in September) which political choices the cabinet is making for the future of Dutch agriculture and what the future prospects are for farmers. This also asks for a contribution from banks, suppliers, customers and banks in the transition to circular agriculture. But the provinces will also have a year to come up with their own nitrogen reduction plans in their areas, and elections of the Provincial Council will follow two-thirds of that process. Who can do it regional political landscape change color, but also the relationships in the Senate. In short, a constructive, consistent, thorough and reliable political plan for the future for farmers is hard to find.
A majority of the House considers that the nitrogen policy and the future prospects for the farmer focus too much on the stop scheme, which includes a professional ban, while this offers no prospects for the stayers and starters. The other options for nitrogen reduction that have been agreed in the coalition agreement remain underexposed. Other options for reducing nitrogen emissions are relocation, innovation, management measures and extensification. The House wants the government to come up with a fully elaborated set of instruments as soon as possible, including for innovations, a schedule with measures per soil type, a relocation scheme (without a professional ban) and attractive schemes for long-term agricultural nature management. The House wants to be informed about this during the budget discussion.
Supporting frontrunners
Leaders in circular agriculture, such as organic and nature-inclusive circular farmers, are needed in the transition to circular agriculture, according to the MPs. About half of the organic farms in the Netherlands are located in an area where more than 47% nitrogen has to be reduced. According to the House, these frontrunners must be supported by the government, so that their company does not fail within the area-oriented approach.
A motion to have the banks pay their fair share and, for example, to introduce a solidarity levy, was unsuccessful. However, the House wants the agricultural complex (banks, suppliers and customers) to commit to a so-called bail-in that bears a substantial part of the transition costs. The MPs also want the government to come up with an action plan to make large leasing parties (land management organisations, the Central Government Real Estate Agency and churches) responsible for offering their current tenants perspectives and helping them towards profitable extensive and nature-inclusive food production. In addition, the House wants the government to ensure in a non-binding manner that the transition to circular agriculture, including a fair earnings model, is given a permanent place in private quality systems, so that the processing industry, suppliers and supermarkets can do their bit.
Priority PAS pressure cases
A motion to minimize the differences at the German border was also supported by a majority. Just like to give priority to the legalization program for PAS bottlenecks and to give room for a bottom-up approach to innovative emission reduction.
Linda van Eekeres
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