Land policy in the Netherlands needs to be overhauled, according to the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli). According to the advisory board, farmers in Veenhuizen, near the Fochteloërveen, are already doing it in the right way and are an example for the agriculture of the future. But they must also be supported financially for this.
Today, the Rli is presenting an advisory report to Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma (BBB), in which the advisory board argues that the government is shooting itself in the foot with regard to land policy.
This has to do with the ever-increasing prices for agricultural land. Last week, the Land Registry announced that the price for a hectare of agricultural land in Drenthe has risen to over 86,000 euros at the end of 2025. A year earlier that was more than 75,000 euros.
According to the Rli, the government is partly to blame for the high prices. This is due, for example, to incorrect incentives in agricultural subsidies and tax rules. As a result, land prices are rising, with adverse consequences for farmers and citizens.
“A farmer who spends his money on expensive agricultural land has less left for innovations,” says Jan Jacob van Dijk, chairman of the Council for the Living Environment and Infrastructure. “We also need the same expensive land for housing and barracks for defense. If the government itself drives up those high prices, we should all think carefully about how this can be done differently.”
The council recommends rigorous changes. How it should be done? To this end, she points to plans by farmers in Veenhuizen near Fochteloërveen. There, farmers have made agreements in collaboration with the province and the water board about nitrogen emissions, improving water quality and biodiversity.
Farmers will move companies and exchange plots while waiting for the correct permits. A dairy farmer will then be further away from the nature reserve and an arable farmer closer. This reduces the nitrogen load on the Fochteloërveen.
Farmers try to improve water quality by retaining water in ditches. According to the Noorderzijlvest water board, the next step is to continue working on healthy soil, so that it can store more water. This makes the soil less sensitive to dehydration and can also handle wet periods better.
