- June 11, 2025

With leading Members of Parliament and Dutch farmers’ organisation LTO, days after the adoption of the Strategic Dialogue

EU Focus Group Managing Partner, Pascal Michaux first questioned whether the Strategic Dialogue really meant a different agriculture policy at EU level and whether focus will be put on productivity and therefore food sovereignty, as required by farmers. Dutch elections brought to power a challenging coalition with the first time a representative from the farmers’ party BBB in charge of the agriculture portfolio at national level.

Senator Frans Van Knapen was adamant in highlighting that fertilisers are important to Dutch agriculture and that farmers needed to have access to tools, to be able to produce. The new Agriculture Minister, Femke Wiersma, will defend firmly the interests of farmers in Brussels. Farmers have a too low income versus high production costs. Too many administrative tasks reduce the time farmers can spend on the field. A modern farmer will manage its farm in a sustainable manner with careful management of the soil and water quality. Frans Van Knapen rejected accusations that the Dutch waters were less clean than German ones as contaminations do not stop at borders. He reminded the audience that the FAO asked to produce more.

Dutch Agriculture will need to be increased but protecting the environment and human health from potential negatives consequences, indicated MPs Eline Vedder from the CDA (Christian-democrats), a farmer herself and Thom Van Campen from the PVV party (liberals). There is a growing deterioration of our waters and soils which require a reduction in the use of chemicals. Those should be used carefully and only when needed with a clear Integrated Pest Management approach. Development of biologicals and preservation of nature is a political objective.

Joris Baelcke from LTO (Dutch farmers) regretted that DG Agriculture was not much in control whereas 80% of the legislation affecting farmers come from the EU. The current model on fertilisers is too strict and will impede competitiveness. We need incentives to trade as we cannot and should not have a protective policy. Dutch agriculture needs open trade agreements. The Nature Restoration Law is problematic if implemented as such. Some areas or Member States in the EU could focusing more on food production because of soil and appropriate climatic conditions while others may increase the protection of green areas. Al together, this should lead to a balance in the EU. The climatic conditions require chemical solutions as natural/organic ones do not come. Labour force is also required to work in fields. A stricter immigration policy in the NL and EU could impact the flexibility to operate during harvesting.

Finally, Daniella de Ridder, member of the agriculture committee in the Bundestag,  defended a modern agriculture with innovation in technologies and a stronger digitalisation of the sector. Development of agroecology is a need like it is perfectly done in Switzerland and Austria. Political responses need to be brought to farmers after the demonstrations in Europe and which initiated in Germany. Farmers need to be strongly supported further to the consequences of climate change: the recent floods, energy crisis, inflation, etc impacted seriously their capacity to operate. The German government development a specific plan, to be implemented in the last year of the legislature.