Nitrogen plan Schouten: a lot of money, little perspective

Although agriculture minister Carola Schouten continues to emphasize that she wants to offer farmers perspective, the Agricultural Collective is making mincemeat of the nitrogen plan that she presented today (Friday 24 April). In summary: a waste of money, ordinary purchase, shrinkage of the livestock and a brake on the further development of companies.

The nitrogen plan that Schouten sent to the House of Representatives, offers few more surprises. A large part of it was already leaked at the beginning of this week† Until 2030, the cabinet will allocate more than €5 billion for the development of nature and the purchase of agricultural companies to make room for this nature. More money is also being invested in making the Dutch agricultural sector more sustainable and there is a stronger focus on nature-inclusive agriculture. 

Farmers needed more than ever
According to Schouten, "The Netherlands needs farmers more than ever to help solve the nitrogen problem." However, it cannot count on support from the agricultural sectors, warns the Agricultural Collective. According to the pact of agricultural advocates, Schouten's nitrogen plan embodies exactly what she feared. "It is exactly the reason why we stopped all consultations with Minister Schouten and the ministry at an earlier stage."

The collective is particularly disappointed that its own designed nitrogen plan has been completely ignored, whereby the results of nitrogen reduction, according to the organization, are "many times more than what the cabinet is realizing with its plans." While the costs, at €2 billion, are in line with the €1,8 billion that the cabinet is earmarking for - as the Agriculture Collective puts it - "ordinary buy-up of farms." The result of buying up agricultural companies around Natura2000 areas is minimal, the Agricultural Collective emphasizes on the basis of calculations. 

Green economy is turning gray
The external netting of nitrogen to parties outside the agricultural sector is also against the sore leg of the agricultural advocates. Although Schouten emphasizes in the letter to parliament that she wants to build in all kinds of guarantees to prevent a buyout of agricultural companies, the Agricultural Collective has little faith in this. "Green economy is being exchanged for gray economy", is the response, referring to the likely destination of the 'agricultural' nitrogen: housing and industry.

Taking the latent nitrogen space on companies is also condemned by the Agricultural Collective: "A permit is a possession, taking it is theft and theft is prohibited." According to the organization, this especially disadvantages young entrepreneurs, who now have to invest extra for, for example, more stable space or sustainable energy.

No future-oriented perspective
Because that is also where the shoe pinches at the Agricultural Collective and also LTO Nederland, which comes up with a statement separately from the collective. Nitrogen policy is mainly based on buying up agricultural companies and nowhere is it concrete to give entrepreneurs who want to continue farming a future-oriented perspective. Except that they have to comply with a series of measures that are submitted to them by the cabinet. 

Schouten summed up these desires in the letter to parliament: "Together with farmers, I want to focus on investing in livestock housing, promoting the availability of agricultural land in dairy farming, adjusting livestock feed, increasing pasture grazing in dairy farming, or spreading manure, whereby measures preferably have a positive and in any case no negative effect on animal health, animal welfare, public health and marketing interests."

Leading the political agenda
A lot of tax money goes to measures that are hardly effective for the purpose for which they serve, says Aalt Dijkhuizen, chairman of the Agricultural Collective, in the statement "They seem to serve a political agenda much more." According to him, "one of the leading sectors in the world should not be put at risk. Moreover, in a world in which the demand for food will increase very strongly", citing the consequences of the current corona crisis. 

LTO Nederland also thinks the nitrogen approach is not sufficiently forward-looking. The preference is for innovation over voluntary buyout in terms of distribution of the money, LTO explains in a statement. "Buying up livestock farmers for approximately € 1,3 billion is many times less effective than if the same amount is invested in further improving business operations through innovations, management and investments."

Chain must contribute
It is striking that Schouten believes that a farmer who has to adjust his business operations to comply with future rules should primarily look at the agricultural chain in order to recoup these investments. According to Schouten, the agricultural chains, such as feed companies, slaughterhouses and other market parties must also "make a contribution."

According to her, the measures can only be successful if the farmer can afford and earn back the necessary investments. "That therefore requires a significant movement of sales channels and consumers in the right direction." How it intends to achieve this and what movement that should be, is not explained in more detail in the letter to parliament.

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