The Province of South Holland is working on agriculture ready for the future, with a sector actively contributing to nature, water, and climate goals. The Agricultural Implementation Agenda translates current policy into action and focuses on three transition tracks: high-tech, nature-inclusive, and multifunctional. These tracks complement each other and contribute to a resilient, profitable, and socially valued agricultural business. For future agricultural policy, the province will start later this year with the partial revision of environmental policy.
Speaking the Same Language
On Thursday, February 26, Deputy Aad Straathof launched the Agricultural Implementation Agenda South Holland 2025-2030. The agenda describes the provinces approach to a future-proof agricultural sector. It consists of stimulating and supportive measures over which the province itself has control. The agenda provides direction to farmers to operate sustainably and economically viable. During the launch, attended by about one hundred agricultural stakeholders, it became clear that farmers want to move and know well themselves what is needed. The agenda helps to take action and make progress.
Deputy Aad Straathof: “With the Implementation Agenda, the province shows how important farmers are as leading food producers, carriers of an economically strong and socially rooted sector, and managers of the South Holland cultural landscape. With this agenda, we want to sustainably guide the agricultural sector, in which we facilitate and equip farmers so they can work towards a solid and fair earning model.
This not only contributes to stronger agricultural businesses but also to goals such as clean water and increased biodiversity, as well as local food and a healthy society. To achieve this, we must speak the same language so that farmers can farm in a way that fits who they are and connects to their identity. Together, we build agriculture that is valuable for the farmer, soil, and society.”
During the launch, the agenda was presented, followed by in-depth discussions on three topics: goal steering, learning networks, and the use of data models to calculate the impact of proposed policies on the agricultural domain. This led to interesting discussions and contacts for further cooperation.
Agriculture as an Integral Part of a Livable and Future-Proof Province
To keep agriculture future-proof, innovative solutions are needed that respond to current challenges such as climate change, water pressure, biodiversity loss, and changing markets. Agriculture is approached in the Implementation Agenda as a carrier of landscape, ecosystem services, and local food. The agenda connects agricultural entrepreneurship with broader goals in soil, water quality, climate, and biodiversity. It aligns with the principles of the South Holland food vision: sustainability, food security, health, and fair chains. Thus, agriculture is positioned in the provincial Environmental Policy as an integral part of a livable and future-proof province.
The Implementation Agenda is like young cheese that still needs to mature in the coming years. The province wants to accelerate the movement towards future-proof agriculture with this agenda in cooperation with the sector. The agenda will be sharpened annually together with the sector. Deputy Aad Straathof will visit companies and initiatives in the province in the coming months that implement the agenda. “It is important that we now also go outside because that is where it all happens,” says Aad Straathof.
Download the Implementation Agenda Agriculture (opens in a new window)