Blog post
New earning models for nature and landscape come to life
Dutch nature conservation organisations have reacted rather stoically to the Dutch government's new nature policy. Despite cautious attempts to rally the troops to protest, the conservation movement seems almost to have conceded defeat and to be waiting for the next setback. Or is this all a façade?
It is true that significant investments are being made on all sides in new coalitions relating to nature and landscape management. What is remarkable is that farmers and conservationists are forming coalitions with each other which previously would have been unthinkable. For instance, Staatsbosbeheer, the Netherlands' forest management agency, is now leasing its land to certified organic farmers on a long-term basis. Staatsbosbeheer is also in negotiations with agricultural nature conservation groups to allow them to manage some of its land. On the other hand, however, it wants to enter into more business-like contracts for leasing land to standard farmers. In other words, Staatsbosbeheer wants to earn more money on the deals. And you can't really blame them.
At present, a much more interesting form of cooperation is developing between farmers and conservationists in the Krimpenerwaard region in the province of South Holland. A number of farmers in this region have formed a conservation cooperative, through which they intend to manage the local nature areas together. The South Holland provincial government has recently given them permission to start a pilot project covering 70 hectares, beginning on 1 January 2013. In part on the basis of the discussions on this topic, the conservation cooperative and Zuid-Hollands Landschap, the province's land management agency, have begun working together to discuss future land management in the entire Krimpenerwaard region. They are currently examining the long-term option of allowing certified organic farmers who are members of the conservation cooperative to manage land belonging to Zuid-Hollands Landschap. LEI is actively contributing to this discussion.
Similar coalitions relating to the management of recreation areas are currently in development. LEI is also participating in these conversations. Economising measures on the part of the Dutch government have forced both land management organisations and recreational area organisations to re-examine how they will finance and organise land management in the future. Some regions are considering hospitality and recreation enterprises, but the agricultural sector has also expressed interest in land management in these regions. A number of agricultural entrepreneurs have recently formed the Werkgroep Stadsboeren ('urban farmers' working group'), which is currently in discussions with Staatsbosbeheer regarding the management of recreational areas using a kind of franchise formula.
In short, a lot is happening in the Netherlands in the field of nature and landscape management. It may well be that the current nature policy crisis will bring things to a head and that the conservation movement will emerge stronger than ever, though in another form and taking another role in the ever-changing developments in politics and society. This means it is all the more important that an organisation such as LEI keeps following these developments and making an active contribution in the form of research.