No other country in Europe has so many cows, chickens and pigs per hectare as the Netherlands. We import large quantities of animal feed and export large quantities of meat and dairy products. And what remains: manure. About 75 billion kilos annually.
What should we do with all that manure? Successive ministers of agriculture have wrestled with that question for decades. The topic also caused a stir last week. Minister of Agriculture Piet Adema had to answer to the House of Representatives on Wednesday: why had he not informed the House about the hard clash he had with Brussels about Dutch manure policy?
In these Hague Affairs we are therefore talking about manure and its turbulent political history. You will hear from Clara van de Wiel and Eppo König about Dutch and European agricultural politics and about the first major political test for Piet Adema. And we discuss why Brussels seems to be becoming increasingly stricter for the Netherlands when it comes to nature and the environment.
@Apjvalk // @e_konig // @ClaravandeWiel
Read further?
The Manure Conspiracy – the major manure investigation by NRC journalists Joep Dohmen and Esther Rosenberg
Adema apologizes to farmers and Chamber, but is not in danger
No delay for farmers when spreading manure
The new minister of Agriculture is not easily soured
Do you have questions, suggestions or ideas about our journalism? Then email our ombudsman at [email protected].
- Presentation:
- Gus Valk
- Guests:
- Eppo König & Clara van de Wiel
- Editorial & production:
- Ignace Schoot & Vita van Lennep
- Edit:
- Peter Baker
- Photo:
- Jeffrey Groeneweg / ANP