The other side of the agricultural story

Sustainability has become a magic word that is stuck on everything. In many cases this is not right. Every person and company is harmful to the environment. One idea is to calculate the burden and any positive contribution to the environment using mandatory environmental yield analyses.

Besides sand, gravel and natural gas, the Netherlands has no raw materials at all. The materials and raw materials for construction and industry, but also for a company such as coffee roaster Douwe Egberts, come from all over the world. And the products they make are then exported worldwide. However, the Netherlands still has approximately 1,5 million hectares of agricultural land. However, it decreases by approx 13.000 hectares for asphalt, industry and housing.

The remaining hectares of green crops, including the grass, grow due to the free elements of sunlight, oxygen and water. But they also produce oxygen and fix the CO2. Organic fertilizer is used, but it is produced nearby and regulated to almost 1 liter from Brussels. Fertilizer use is regulated at 1 kg and has decreased by 20% in 42 years.

Residual and by-products
85% of all animal feed produced in the Netherlands consists of residual and by-products from, for example, sugar, beer, soft drinks, potato starch products, and so on. This concerns a total of approximately 11 million tons on an annual basis. Certain raw materials that have been rejected for human consumption are also fed to animals. They don't get baking wheat or whole soybeans, because the oil from the pressed soybeans goes to the human sector. Just like palm and sunflower oil, this oil is in many products. High-quality food such as milk, meat and eggs is produced from these residual products.

The agricultural sector exports 70% of its products, but 85% of these remain within a radius of 800 km. This 'export' provides the state treasury approximately €8,7 billion net per year and also directly and indirectly provides about 400.000 jobs. All this concerns the production of food, besides oxygen and water the most important elements in human existence. In my opinion an immense achievement by the only 41.000 farmers in the Netherlands, who are the most efficient in the world with the lowest environmental input. (Research ABN-Amro)

Purifying surface water
Our agricultural land collects a lot of rainwater, in contrast to asphalt, tiles and concrete. The flora and fauna present in the approximately 450.000 kilometers of farm ditches purify part of society's surface water, which is polluted with, among other things, the poo bacteria (due to recreation and sewage overflows). Most windmills, solar panels and biodigesters are located on agricultural land and everything from the dead animals that are offered for destruction is reused. These include glue, raw materials for medicines, candy and pet food.

And then the crop protection products: without these products we would have a mega food problem worldwide. However, it must be applied with great care and its use has decreased by 20% in the Netherlands over the past 29 years. These resources are also used by society and the government. The total use of medicines in Dutch animal husbandry has decreased by 20% in the last 70 years.

Green lungs of the Netherlands
The approximately 1,5 million hectares of agricultural land (66% of the Dutch surface) has been maintained free of charge by farmers for decades, resulting in a beautiful open and varied landscape. Literally the green lungs of the Netherlands. It is true that the agricultural sector burdens the environment, so we should certainly do that where it can be improved. But not based on false arguments.

If you can calculate environmental efficiency analyses, I fear that society and industry are not exactly sustainable either. Because most people just want more. The lockdown has put us face to face in that regard. Everywhere was peaceful and quiet, with clean blue skies and the birds singing the highest song… while there were still just as many cows, chickens and pigs. Special!

Tette Hofstra
Agricultural entrepreneur in Akkrum

Boerenbusiness

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