Residents of Benneveld, among others, which is close to Aalden and Zweeloo, are increasingly concerned about lily and bulb cultivation in their area. Plant protection products are not only harmful to the environment, but also to human health, the group argues.
180 people signed a letter to the province, which Gijsbert Six read on their behalf to the city council of Coevorden. They note that, according to them, lily and bulb cultivation has exploded since 2000.
“Compared to other crops, the amount of pesticides used is very high,” says Six. “These resources are not only harmful to the environment. Local residents are also at risk and are very concerned about this.”
He says there are indications that there is a relationship between the use of certain pesticides and diseases that affect the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. He also quotes the observation of a physiotherapist from Gees: “He is seeing more and more Parkinson’s patients. A considerable part of them are under fifty.” The GP in Aalden is also concerned and says via Six that he regularly comes home with a headache after a walk on the es.
In addition to concerns about health, the letter also speaks about the high water consumption and the deterioration of the cultural-historical values of the Drenthe landscape on the essen.
When asked, Six says that he also submitted the letter to the province of Drenthe, but could count on little support there. “I noticed that the Members of Parliament were understanding, but the Provincial Executive did not want to go along with the coalition agreement that was made. We ran into a wall of administrative unwillingness. Nothing is happening and we hope that the upcoming elections will offer new opportunities.”
That is why the group is now turning to the municipality of Coevorden. In 2016, they made agreements with the bulb producers and LTO Noord about the code of conduct for plant protection products and communication about their use.
According to alderman Jeroen Huizing (CDA), there has been no increase in bulb cultivation in the municipality of Coevorden since that agreement: “The number of hectares has been stable since 2016: around a hundred. Due to crop rotation, it can sometimes suddenly seem like a lot in certain places.”
Six says the covenant is meaningless because it is not being followed. The concerned residents are asking the municipality to ‘urgently show administrative will and decisiveness by putting a stop to the cultivation of bulbs and lilies in the municipality of Coevorden’.
The council takes the concerns about health problems seriously and alderman Huizing says to focus on sustainable bulb cultivation, by which he means reducing the number of crop protection. Huizing is discussing this with LTO Noord and he promises that the covenant will be updated and tightened in the first quarter of 2023.