Why am I not paying more for food?

I have gathered all my courage to confess 'au public'. I myself do not have a farming background, but have been working for and with farmers for many years (in the field of soil and animal health). In the meantime, I know how the hares run in the sector. Above all, I really enjoyed the dynamic branch of sport and received great appreciation for the livestock farmers, arable farmers, nurserymen, fishermen and gardeners.

On closer inspection, and after a few moments of self-reflection, my big peasant heart turns out to be a lot smaller than I thought. And here comes my confession.. I buy my groceries according to the principle of 'watching the little ones'. Our family occasionally goes for the kilo blaster and the Kenyan green bean. Nice in 1 large supermarket around the corner. In short: 'Long get it, get home soon'.

'Instant happiness'
As an employee of a mineral producer, I earn from the skilled and passionate farmer, while the farmer earns nothing from me. It is true that they get returns from concepts that we advise as a company, but I (as an individual) keep a close eye on the purse strings. I seriously ask myself why I am not contributing to fair trade and sustainability; nota bene because I myself regularly stand in the clay or stable. So I do know that a lot is involved in the production of meat, milk and vegetables.

Like many others, I am a meaningless herd animal. We have all become individuals, with the motto 'I live my life'. As that individual, I move among 7,5 billion people. In my view, it rubs off on individualism and globalization. We are no longer part of a small, manageable collective (community/village) and no longer listen to the police officer, teacher or pastor. We want to control our own freedom, but with our small, lonely brains we cannot handle this large and complex world. We are constantly searching for our meaning and often we create it at the expense of the truth.

Meaning should lead to so-called 'instant happiness'. Some look for it in ideals, after which the screaming group mainly follows. Not forming an opinion based on facts, but based on sentiment and based on whoever shouts the loudest. Others keep looking for a lifetime. "We have become slaves to our own meaning", reports the Flemish philosopher and psychiatrist Damiaan Denys.

A far-from-my-bed show
And this (my) behavior change has everything to do with it; especially if we as individuals in the big, bad world want to pursue our own happiness. Paying more for food on your own initiative does not touch your core. It doesn't affect you personally. It does not bring 'instant happiness', but personal unhappiness. After all, you have less money to spend. Doing more for a better climate often feels like a small drop in a large, glowing plate as an individual. We no longer see the susceptible collective, because it is no longer there.

The street, the village, the church, the small community. These could bring about behavioral change in favor of that same community. Nowadays everyone and everything is anonymous. Much is 'the far-from-my-bed show'. The farmer used to be part of that small community. Not a big unknown like now. On the contrary, the farmer and his wife were people of prestige. Since you knew them personally, there was understanding and appreciation. The sense of community and understanding for the other is now hard to find.

It seems like problems don't exist
The tension between animal welfare and nature on the one hand and efficient food production on the other seems to cause a widening between farmer and citizen (if this has not yet been done). However, we have not yet succeeded in asking for and at the same time voluntarily paying for sustainably produced products. This gives you the freedom of the individual. Valuing food in money does not give 'instant happiness': because who can guarantee that when I buy 2 star pork, these pigs and the pig farmer concerned will actually do better? I give my money to the supermarket, not the farmer. And I never see happy cashiers.

Moreover, the problems of our farmers are absorbed into all the problems of the world, which we as individuals cannot do anything about. Those problems are hidden far away and anonymously, it seems as if they do not exist. And if they do get through to us, then the challenges are too great for us as 'individuals between 7,5 billion people'. With those evolutionary survival tactics we manage to hold our own as loners.

Out of sight out of mind
The industrialization of the sector, in combination with urbanization, has directly created a physical distance between farmers and citizens. 'Out of sight, out of mind or unknown makes unloved'. There are already many great initiatives to bring these 2 groups (farmer and citizen) together, the citizen is invited to take a look in the greenhouse or in the stable. I think many families see a visit to a farmer as a 'nice day out'.

However, the split in which many farmers find themselves remains unnamed. They certainly want to take steps towards a more sustainable, robust circular agriculture and they want to hand over their agricultural business to the next generation with love. However, the consumer will then have to move along.

Manufacturing
The 'Our farm' program by Yvon Jaspers shows the 'ups and downs' of the farmers, whereby often the same obstacles emerge: environmental standards are decisive and by no means unambiguous and the cost price (including all sustainability requirements) is hardly covered by the sales price. Families are in danger of going under or moving abroad. If this pace continues, the Netherlands will slowly lose another manufacturing industry, but this time a sector with immense impact on employment, the economy, food safety and food security. BoerBurgerBeweging is approaching to exert direct influence on legislation and regulations from the political arena and also to reach out to the citizen.

Behavioral change in the field of food appreciation is impossible. I am a good example of that myself. Because, despite my notion of farm life, I am capable of ignoring sustainable food options. The social setting and the individualism embedded in it cannot be changed in the short term. That is why the government must intervene by regulating food prices to preserve our natural landscape and the food producer. Just force me into the supermarket, otherwise I'll reach around unsuspectingly again. I understand why.

Pascal Phillips

Pascal Philipsen is regional manager for the South of the Netherlands and fertilization specialist at Timac Agro Nederland.

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