Introduction
Agriculture policy is in the spotlight in the Netherlands. A legal mandate to reduce nitrogen emissions prompted government plans to target the most intensive producers of livestock and other sectors to reduce those emissions. A political backlash followed, suggesting that government overreach had threatened the existence of certain types of intensive farming livelihoods. This backlash had electoral consequences, leading to a new political party that has gained significant seats and threatens the plan to reduce emissions in the first place. Amidst all of this, the government is working towards an agricultural agreement, a long-term planning document that may have some binding measures of where the future of the Dutch agricultural sector should go.
During this process, an NGO called Both Ends with an international outlook, drafted a manifesto arguing that national agricultural policy in the Netherlands should focus on its international implications. Karin van Boxtel, one of the authors of the manifesto and program coordinator at Both Ends provides context.
The Agriculture Agreement