The until recently friendly Drenthe Parliament had a flying start to 2024 this week, with harsh words from BBB leader Gert-Jan Schuinder. During a debate about bulb cultivation and pesticides, he mentioned ‘a smear campaign against the growers’ and a ‘circus’. The discussion was at the initiative of the left-wing opposition, which wants the province to put limits on bulb cultivation.
That is not up to the province, says Schuinder, and there is no political will at all in his party. The BBB became by far the largest party in the elections in March and now wants to make it clear that the wind is blowing differently at the provincial government. The left-wing opposition sees it all helplessly. Just before Christmas, under the leadership of SP leader Simon Zandvliet, she submitted a motion of regret about the financial dealings of the new provincial government, but it fell far short of a majority.
But the crux of this matter is that neighbors of bulb growers, based on scientific research, fear that pesticides will cause them nasty diseases such as Parkinson’s. Unlike his party colleague Schuinder, BBB representative Jisse Otter came towards them somewhat. Otter pointed out that people today are more likely to be concerned about their health than in the past and that you should take this into account.
“Living will kill you,” Robert Long sang fifty years ago. At that time, teachers would still light up a cigarette without a care in the world in front of a classroom full of children, which would now almost be grounds for immediate dismissal. Today we know more and accept less.
That is why there is now more suspicion towards bulb growers and the resources they use. However, the province is not concerned with the authorization of pesticides nor with the question of what farmers are allowed to grow in their fields. That is a matter for the government. Can the province do nothing at all? Yes, we are now working hard on a new Environmental Vision, which contains plans for spatial planning for the coming years. It can also draw up rules where intensive agriculture can and cannot take place.
With the BBB at the helm, we should not expect this to result in many additional regulations for farmers. But it is reassuring that the bulb growers themselves also know that they have to work on cleaner cultivation. Just like teachers realize they shouldn’t smoke in the classroom.