Schuttelaar & Partners expects food deal after elections

Sustainable agriculture, economic growth in the food sector and an integrated food policy. That is where the first election debate for next year's elections to the House of Representatives revolved around. Food policy needs to be improved: a better perspective for farmers for sustainable agriculture, room for entrepreneurs and a Delta Plan for integrated food policy and that for the long term, over several government periods.

Schuttelaar & Partners organised the Online Event Elections & Food on Monday 7 September. Under the leadership of Suzanne van der Pijll, three debaters and five politicians spoke on the subject. The aim of the debate was to put Agriculture & Food prominently on the agenda for the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives in March 2021.

National Delta Plan Food for Sustainable Agriculture, Healthy Food and Fair Remuneration

Marcel Schuttelaar is chairman of the Smart Food Alliance, a network of companies in the Agri & Food Sector. He advocates a National Delta Plan for Food. The policy for sustainable, healthy and fair food is too fragmented. A Delta Plan with a Delta Commissioner is needed so that a fixed course of action can be chosen for several cabinet periods. 

He said: "the easy things have now been settled, the low-hanging fruit has now been picked, the next decade will be all about the really difficult issues."

Both William Moorlag (Member of PvdA) and Maurits von Martels (Member of CDA) indicate that an integrated approach is needed for sustainable and healthy food. William Moorlag: "We are facing a crisis in health, nature and the agricultural sector. We therefore need a broad food, nature and agriculture agreement". 

Less large-scale agriculture and livestock farming for sustainable food

Rob van Tilburg is programme director at Stichting Natuur & Milieu (Foundation for Nature & Environment). His wish for the future is that farmers produce less animal products and that there is more room for arable farming, horticulture and new crops, such as nut cultivation. "We need to move towards more farmers with smaller farms," says Rob van Tilburg. The question is how we encourage consumers and businesses to produce sustainable food. Should the government intervene, for example with a meat tax? Member of Parliament Tjeerd de Groot (D66) thinks so: "The consumer has absolutely nothing to say. It is the industry and the supermarkets that are making the decisions". Maurits von Martels, puts more emphasis on the entrepreneur: "I would mainly help the entrepreneurs you need in the future and make expertise and financial resources available for that purpose".

More room for entrepreneurs in the food chain.

Marc Jansen is director of the Central Food Trade Office (CBL), the branch organisation of supermarkets and food service companies. Make room for the economy, the CBL wants to give that message to the politicians. Marc Jansen: "Politicians must not distort the market with tax measures". The government will have to set the lower limit on sustainability and health. Laura Bromet, Member of GroenLinks, indicates that government intervention is necessary: "The actual price of a product is not paid at the checkout."

The business community must be able to make agreements in order to be able to take steps in sustainability. There is no doubt that sustainable enterprise must be the basis. Arne Weverling, Member of VVD: "Innovative and green entrepreneurship go hand in hand."

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Picture: From left to right: Marcel Schuttelaar (Smart Food Alliance), Suzanne van der Pijll (Schuttelaar & Partners), Maurits von Martels (CDA) and William Moorlag (PvdA).