Expropriating grass, but drilling for gas?

The contrast is great. Where the cabinet announced on Monday through outgoing minister Stef Blok that a permit will probably be granted to drill for gas in the Wadden Sea, farmers in our country may be expropriated or even have their permits taken away. Grassland can then make way for housing. 

Under great interest from the media, disturbing citizens and climate activists, Blok spoke on Monday in Ternaard in Friesland about the plans to extract gas under the Wadden Sea in 2023. Citizens in the area are furious that 'their' Wadden Sea is falling prey to gas extraction, with all the possible consequences and dangers that entails. Although politics in The Hague is full of new energy sources, in the meantime people are happily drilling for the ancient and lucrative gas. Notabene under the Wadden Sea, Natura 2000 area and also Unesco World Heritage.

Natura 2000 area
The bridge to the nitrogen dossier, in which livestock farming is at a crossroads, is quickly made. Because livestock farmers who farm close to Natura 2000 area depend expropriation . take away their license Above the head. It makes sense that farmers and advocacy groups are outraged.

Blok is hiding behind the fact that from a legal point of view the cabinet can do nothing but grant NAM a drilling permit. A small consolation that the cabinet has for those involved is that gas extraction in the Wadden Sea Region 'will most likely not cause any damage'. In the unlikely event that problems do arise, gas extraction will be stopped immediately, the government promises.

Expropriation of farmers
Opponents say that the cabinet is very easy to hide behind the judiciary. The Hague lacks the motivation to stop the drilling plans. The will to reorganize the livestock because of the nitrogen crisis seems all the greater. The state attorney even advises the Ministry of LNV to deprive farmers of their permits because of the time. According to him, this is even more effective than expropriation, something the cabinet is considering. 

There is apparently no moral sense of the consequences. The contrast between the granting of a permit to the former state-owned company NAM and the possible expropriation of family farms once again exposes the current political agenda in our country - reorganizing the livestock to create nitrogen space for other economic activities. 

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.

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