Farmers are going to miss Rik Grashoff

This week it was announced that Rik Grashoff, Member of Parliament and agricultural spokesperson for GroenLinks, is leaving political The Hague for private reasons. Although Grashoff can be seen as an agricultural critic, he at least had a vision.

In his time as a Member of Parliament, Grashoff aspired to a different approach to conventional agriculture and livestock farming, that is clear. His views and ideas regularly made the (agricultural) news. In short, he aspired to a different agricultural system; a system with fewer animals, fewer crop protection products and more nature-inclusive. 

Well versed
The difference with some other (political) agricultural critics is that Grashoff had a vision. He stuck to the facts, actually made counter-proposals and never got sentimental. That cannot be said of everyone in the House of Representatives. During the last agricultural debate about animal welfare, the Party of the Animals still showed sentimental photos of so-called abuses in pig farming. I don't see Grashoff doing that anytime soon, although he could be fierce. 

Grashoff also did not shy away from constructive discussions. On the annual conference van Nevedi (November 2017) he imagined himself, he said, literally in the lion's den. I didn't think his contribution was bad. He had better file knowledge than pro-farmers in the room and thus easily countered the criticisms. At the time, he advocated circular agriculture, with livestock farming as a processor of residual flows. Not so much about cleaning up all the animals. Grashoff also argued for a better earning model for farmers. Although this thought may have been a bit idealistic, no farmer could object. 

Successor abhors livestock farming
Incidentally, this blog is not a plea for Grashoff; I only know him from public appearances. I dare say that with the resignation of Grashoff, a political grindstone for Dutch agriculture and livestock farming will disappear in The Hague. A constructive obstacle is something that is likely to benefit rather than harm the position of agricultural exports. It is not without reason that Dutch agriculture is highly regarded abroad in terms of animal welfare and the environment. 

His successor (Laura Bromet) says he abhors intensive livestock farming. So it remains to be seen whether things will improve for farmers from 7 June. The opposition of GroenLinks will probably sound even more shrill and fierce than ever.

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness and Food Business. He also closely follows the raw materials markets and focuses on animal proteins such as dairy and meat. He regularly interviews leaders from the agricultural sector and the food world.

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.