BoerBurg­er­Be­weging wants law Right to Agriculture

The political party BoerBurgerBeweging wants the Netherlands to have a law on the Right to Agriculture. This law should better safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and horticulturists and protect farmers better. When BBB is elected to the Lower House in March 2021, the party wants to submit such a bill as soon as possible. Caroline van der Plas, co-initiator of the BoerBurger movement, announced this on 16 October in Fooddock in Deventer during the launch of the BoerBurgerBoek. This is a book with 21 personal stories of farmers, horticulturists and a North Sea fisherman about food production. Writer, presenter and columnist Özcan Akyol received the first copy of the BoerBurgerBoek.

A law on the Right to Agriculture is intended to guarantee the right to exist of the agricultural sector in the Netherlands. "Such a law can, for example, prevent people and organisations that have no direct interest in expanding or modernising legally permitted farms from conducting years of litigation against farmers, just because they want to get rid of the livestock sector", says Van der Plas.

Stricter approach to animal extremists

The submission of a Law on the Right to Agriculture is also intended to strengthen the legitimacy of agricultural interests and to defend the rights of farmers. In the opinion of BBB, such a law also offers more opportunities to tackle animal extremists who are guilty of burglary, barn occupations, intimidation, threats to farmers or other extra-statutory actions. The law must also include new criminal offences, such as 'incitement to' or 'cause of' stable occupations, animal liberation or intimidation of livestock farmers. BBB also wants to make material damage and animal liberation punishable. "Similar laws already exist in Australia and America. As far as we are concerned, the Netherlands will be the first country in Europe to receive such a law", says Van der Plas.

Education

BBB will also focus on better education in agricultural and horticultural schools. The party wants schoolbooks and teaching packages, which contain incorrect or suggestive information about the agricultural sector, to be adapted or abolished. "People should actually be informed about agriculture and horticulture and should be able to base their judgement on this and not on suggestive and sometimes factually incorrect statements, which often come from animal or environmental organisations. For example, children are still learning at school that there are battery cages in the Netherlands and that there are still calves in the coffin. This information is not correct and this should disappear from the teaching materials," says Van der Plas. BBB also wants compulsory food education in schools, with farm education as a fixed part of the curriculum.  part. "We are convinced that if children learn the value of food at an early age, they will also gain more appreciation for the product and for the people who make their food in later life. This can have a positive effect on the food choices they make, the price they want to pay for food and on reducing food wastage. In addition, more students than is currently the case may opt for an agricultural education. In doing so, we will keep the knowledge about agriculture and horticulture in the Netherlands and agricultural educational institutions will also keep their right to exist.

Prices

BBB will also strive to gain more appreciation for the efforts of farmers and horticulturalists in the field of the environment and animal welfare and will therefore make a case for a good earning model for extra-statutory efforts. "We are not against new laws and regulations, but we are against them if the farmer and horticulturist - as is often the case at present - have to pay all the costs. We are sure that citizens are prepared to pay more for their food. However, they do not get an incentive. It is too easy for supermarkets to say that there is not a dime on top of the price, because the consumer is supposed to 'not want it', but no one has yet tried to get it done. We will do that. This can be done, for example, by means of a meat tax, but only on condition that the tax directly benefits the farmers. In short: BBB wants an end to BBA: Boer Betaalt Alles (Farmer Pays Everything)."