The BoerBurgerBeweging in Groningen does not think it makes sense if the province sends the plans requested by the government for the rural area to The Hague as long as there is no agricultural agreement. “As long as there is no widely supported agricultural agreement, we cannot negotiate with farmers because we do not know what the financial consequences are,” says BBB Member of Parliament Eddie van Marum.
All twelve provinces are expected to submit a draft version of their Provincial Program Rural Area (PPLG) before 1 July. Van Marum is very critical of the Groningen plans, which will be discussed in the provincial parliament on Wednesday. Restoration of nature, a more robust water and soil system and more sustainable agriculture are the main goals in the plan, for which the province is requesting 3 billion euros from the government.
According to the BBB’er, agriculture must make an “excessive share” in the transition to a sustainable rural area “without any prospects in return”. The tone of the document is one of “pointing the finger at agriculture as the source of all evil,” says Van Marum. He states that “there is no sector that has done so much to reduce emissions and pollution” as agriculture, without a decent revenue model attached to it.
As long as there is no perspective for farmers, it is useless to send the plans to The Hague, according to the BBB’er. “It is therefore crucial that an agricultural agreement is reached that is supported by the major agricultural parties. We demand from the cabinet that it provides what we need to be able to continue.”