Advisory report
RLG 09/8a: Fallow field
Advisory report on the future of the rural area
Executive summary
Town and country
As it nears the end of its term of office (December 2009), the Council for the Rural Area has produced this advisory report on the future of the rural area in the Netherlands, for which it sees a new position and a different perception of value. In the past, the rural area has been seen to hold an innate, intrinsic value, whereby urban influences were considered a threat against which it must be protected. Today, the economic and food supply crises, the rapidly growing demand for energy, water shortages, declining biodiversity and climate change raise new societal demands. Moreover, the rural area now derives much of its value from the towns, cities and the urban population. This trend will become even more marked in future.
Like other European countries, the Netherlands is experiencing significant demographic shifts, including a falling birth rate, a more varied ethnic mix due to immigration, and population ageing. The overall result is a reduction in the working population, less demand for housing and schools and greater demand for amenities addressing the needs of the elderly. As young people migrate from the rural areas into the cities, the average age of those left behind is increasing. Seniors generally attach great importance to the quality of their human environment. Because the number of households will continue to decrease, there is now an opportunity to create more space for nature and agriculture, and to explore new ways of addressing various social and societal requirements.
At the same time, it will be possible to counter trends of urbanization and the 'estrangement' of the general public from rural areas.
Estrangement
The 'estrangement' of people from the countryside is a significant phenomenon nowadays. It occurs when nature is 'out of sight' of the general public but the desire to protect that nature nevertheless leads to certain restrictions. Most people are closer - both figuratively and literally - to the city farm or the nature area on the outskirts of the city than to, say, the vulnerable moorlands of Twente and Brabant. Nature which relies on its own intrinsic value rather than the value derived from its usage is particularly susceptible to this estrangement. Further contributory factors include the use of political jargon and the plethora of rules and regulations with which we must now contend.
Decision-making in connection with agriculture use often leads to confusion and dissent because there are marked differences between the intentions and perceptions of the various actors involved: farmers, policy-makers, societal organizations and the general public, all of whom are involved in the discussions. Here too, jargon causes many problems. Terms such as 'flat rate', 'historic reference', 'ewe premiums' and 'fertilization norms' render the discussions inaccessible to many.
The growing use of intensive farming practices, with their effects on water, soil, air quality and animal welfare, evoke opposition and hence estrangement, as does the practice of culling animals during an outbreak of a veterinary disease. The failure of government policy to keep pace with the changing societal attitudes to agriculture is another exacerbating factor.
A further cause of estrangement is that the relationship between farmer and consumer has become obscure. Peas may come from Kenya, milk from Poland. Consumers have become used to convenience, speed, abundance and almost unlimited variety. There is no longer the gratitude and respect for food and its producers that was common among previous generations.
Place the public to the fore
Because the rural area increasingly derives its right to exist from the urban population, estrangement can only be countered by taking the perspective of that population as the starting point in the discussion of nature and agriculture. It is the entire population of the Netherlands - sixteen million in total - who represent the true interests in any discussion of the values of the rural areas. It is the anglers, the cyclists, the consumers of bread and milk, the residents of inner city apartments who demand clean water and fresh air, the nature enthusiasts and, of course, the farmers and horticulturalists. Devoting greater attention to public opinion will lead to more and better ways to enjoy and make use of the rural area, and will enable the agricultural sector to provide a wider range of public services. Nature and agriculture will then not only fill a more useful purpose to society and become more visible, but the intrinsic value of the rural area will have a more substantial claim to protection.
Listen and lead
Devoting greater attention to public opinion does not, however, mean that the government must always accede to the public's wishes, which can sometimes be based on the easiest option. Different people have different interests; they can be demanding 'consumers' of government policy, all too ready to complain about the consequences, ignoring the larger picture or the collective interests. We tend to want everything, everywhere and at any moment. We are not able to make choices and say no to someone else. It falls to the government to make clear that it is neither appropriate nor possible to allow everyone to do whatever they choose. One man's freedom of action will restrict that of another. There can be no freedom without responsibility, and no responsibility without choice. For the government, listening to public opinion is therefore not the same as abrogating its role and responsibilities.
Use ‘gaining space' as an icon
Politicians and administrators seem to associate the rural area to often with ‘cosiness' and as subordinate to other interests. They regard nature as a respite from, or compensation for, the 'real work' of developing urban functions. In areas where the government does have ambitions - such as the development of connected and enlarged nature areas - they seem to forget that there is also a price tag. Nature is seen as an obstacle, and Europe as the scapegoat.
Politicians and project developers see the rural area as an empty canvas, ripe for development. The result is an insidious decline in the values of the countryside. The Council wishes to stress the importance of placing those values in the new context of a relationship between the rural area and the rest of the world. That relationship should be fully visible. Accordingly, the Council recommends the use of representative icons. Wherever the connection between the public and the rural area is under strain and there is a risk of further estrangement, icons can provide a counterbalance and create a new connection.
The Council calls on decision-makers to declare ‘gaining space' the means by which the decline in the quality of the rural area can be reversed and opportunities for the future created. A debate about ‘gaining space' is needed to ensure that the values of the rural area are not forgotten. This debate should be accompanied by vivid and confrontational images which demonstrate that open space and the entire rural area are under pressure. 'Gaining space' can be a highly successful icon for the rural area provided it evokes associations which go beyond 'it is nothing, it really doesn't matter'. In fact, the rural area represents nature, the great outdoors, the open landscape, the polders, and the origins of our food. These are values which we must strive to protect and maintain for future generations.
Exploit the demographic trends
Urbanization continues nationwide, despite the decline in population. This too leads to a less sympathetic view of the rural area on the part of city-dwellers. Their role is that of consumers who regard the rural areas as producers. Increasing cultural diversity also leads to a greater diversity in people's views of the rural areas. The contribution of the public will therefore be less homogenous and less traditional than has hitherto been the case.
It now falls to local authorities in the rural areas to acknowledge the declining population as an opportunity rather than a threat. It offers a chance to develop new, more appropriate facilities (in consultation with the public) and to enhance spatial quality. The provincial authorities must facilitate this process, while central government policy must also be adapted in line with the new demographic requirements. The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) should take the lead in setting the agenda and making full use of the opportunities to enhance the quality of green space. This calls for a discussion and reappraisal of rural and agricultural policy, but one which acknowledges the public's co-ownership and the importance of taking all viewpoints into consideration.
Pursue food production and biodiversity in tandem
A new discussion is not only necessary but will offer new prospects. Our country has adequate space in which to pursue the societal interests of food supply continuity and biodiversity in combination. There remain many opportunities to increase the efficiency of food production in the Netherlands, especially when we look beyond primary production to the food chain as a whole. At present, half of the original production is lost between producer and consumer due to inefficiencies. Only a part of the other half is destined to form part of the global food supply. In the case of meat production, much plant-based protein is lost, while an increasing acreage is now given over to producing biomass to generate energy.
Moreover, the public interests of nature and agriculture need not be addressed exclusively in the rural areas of the Netherlands. To conserve ecosystems and indigenous species such as the black grouse, it may be appropriate to look across the borders if it proves impossible to meet the ecological objectives formulated in response to climate change. If it becomes clear that certain natural values can be protected elsewhere, the specific objectives in the Netherlands can be relaxed or abandoned. Of course, this will require binding agreements to be made at the European level.
While many options exist to increase food production using the currently available agricultural space, a small proportion of agricultural land must be reserved for the Ecological Main Structure. The completion of this programme now requires the conversion of a further four per cent of agricultural land to open nature. It will be perfectly possible to complete the Ecological Main Structure and address the additional need for space posed by climate change, particularly if (as the Council urges) the dynamic of land use is organized in such a way as to allow nature to occupy areas of marginal importance to agriculture but which offer optimal conditions for nature. In this case, some re-zoning of the Ecological Main Structure will be unavoidable, as will the relocation of some agricultural businesses.
Use protective contours
As stated above, there is adequate space in which to redefine and enhance the values of the rural areas. It is also necessary to ensure that those values enjoy better protection than is currently the case. The Council therefore recommends a 'double contour approach'. Around the open areas, which together form the country's main open space and which include nature, agriculture, landscape and water, there will be green contours. The open spaces will then be safeguarded against any incursions, whether in the form of a village expansion or new industrial usage. Such developments will be confined to the areas within the red contours to be drawn around the existing towns and villages, harbour districts, airports and power stations. The urban functions associated with such activities will not be permitted outside those red contours. New 'red functions' must therefore be assimilated with the old. Occasionally, transport links must pass through the area within a green contour. In such cases, the road or railway line should be taken underground, or 'ecoducts' built to avoid any fragmentation of the green area.
Work with constructive conflicts
To stave off the impending stagnation and decline of the rural areas, a new vision must be formulated to enable the reversal of the estrangement between public and countryside. In its place will come greater involvement, with the views and opinions of the public, as those who use and enjoy the rural areas, placed to the fore. This calls for an inspirational, dynamic and proactive government, which is precisely what seems to be lacking at present. The time required to bring about any changes to the rural areas is often out of all proportion to the nature of the task, and to the willingness of the stakeholders to find appropriate solutions. There is a dynamic where no dynamic is required, and stagnation where it is. All too often, the various stakeholders become bogged down in their own interests, whereupon the entire process grinds to a halt. Stagnation has only losers: nature, agriculture and the landscape alike. The rural area as a whole goes into decline. This is not only unnecessary: we simply cannot afford to allow it to happen. In the Council's opinion, it is always possible to create broad agreement between all parties and actors involved in the rural area, provided they are willing to seek a common starting point. We acknowledge that all sectors require space in which to grow and develop. But choices have to be made. There will inevitably be some conflicts. The challenge, the Council believes, is to ensure that these are always constructive conflicts, whereby the tension created can be transformed into constructive energy.
Redress the balance between policy and action
The ability of the government to act in any dynamic or decisive manner is currently restricted by an overly strong focus on the process of formulating policy, with too little attention for actually implementing that policy. Moreover, decisions tend to be based on the governmental frame of reference, rather than that of the area concerned. When programmes are being devised, this attitude results in the practical situation 'on the ground' being largely ignored. And yet much of the knowledge required to ensure decision-making of appropriate quality is actually generated in the region itself.
The lines of communication between central government, provincial authorities and local authorities must be restored and strengthened. This can be achieved by making those responsible for formulating policy more dependent on those who are to implement it. It would be appropriate to involve the practical field, regulatory agencies and technical experts in the process of translating EU legislation to address the Dutch situation. A project organization could be formed which is eventually to be in charge of the implementation of the programme, and which is therefore particularly concerned with its feasibility. Regional or local nature projects could also be made the responsibility of this project organization, rather than that of policy departments as is usually the case at present. An ongoing re-evaluation and adaptation of the manner in which different levels of government cooperate with each other is essential. The quality of legislation must also be improved. The process of drafting or amending laws should not be so lengthy as to cause social unrest. Lastly, good and efficient implementation is a skill which calls for due recognition and respect.
Programmes, plans and projects in the rural areas much be robust enough (in content, process and political context alike) to contend with the great complexity of spatial decision-making. The parties involved in decision-making and implementation must be accountable to each other for the quality of their respective input, or must be accountable to some independent external body. The discussion about quality must be entirely separate to that concerned with the parties' respective interests.
The stakes are high
In the Netherlands, with its rapid urbanization, changing demographics and political focus on urban priorities, the maintenance and development of rural values deserves to be given as much attention as possible. Those values concern us all. They are important to our health and wellbeing, and even more so to the health and wellbeing of future generations. In this advisory report, the Council sets out a number of steps and measures which it believes should be applied in order to safeguard the future of the rural area and its functions. Many of the processes will involve a large number of actors. Good leadership is therefore essential. It would seem most appropriate for that leadership to come from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, since this is the organization charged with the national responsibility for the domain in question.
To date, there has been little reason to have great confidence in that leadership. After all, in some cases the very same ministry is also partly responsible for the obstacles and problems identified by the Council. The estrangement between the public and the rural area due to excessive legislation and the use of jargon, the lengthy decision-making procedures, the lack of regard for those who implement the programmes, the delay in responding to changes in public attitudes: all are factors for which the Ministry of Agriculture cannot be absolved of blame. However, this observation is not intended as a recrimination. It is made with a view to the future. The stakes are high and the urgency of action is even higher. The gauntlet has been thrown down; someone must now pick it up.
Studies
The advisory report 'Fallow field' draws upon the results of nine background studies conducted by, or on behalf of, the Council for the Rural Area. Space does not permit all the insights and findings of these studies to be included in the advisory report, nor of course in this summary. However, an account of those insights and findings is included in the appendix to the full advisory report (in Dutch). The full text of the studies is included on the enclosed dvd and can also be downloaded from the Council's website: Braakliggend veld.
In the list below, English translations of the titles are given for information purposes only. The documents themselves may not (yet) have been translated.
• 'Over het belang van iconen voor het landelijk gebied' (On the Importance of Icons to the Rural Area), including the Berenschot report of the same title (2009).
• 'Landbouw en landgebruik in internationaal perspectief' (Agriculture and Land Usage in an International Perspective), including the report (in English) of the EEAC Working Group on Agriculture and Land Use entitled ‘Land Use in an Era of Global Change' (2009).
• 'Ondernemen op het platteland van 2040' (Doing Business in the Rural Area in 2040), including the report of the same title by LEI Wageningen University and Research Centre (2009).
• 'Een veranderend klimaat voor natuur?' (A Changing Climate for Nature), including the report of the same title by René Didde (2009).
• 'De sociale dimensie' (The Social Dimension), including the report by the Expertise Centre for Population Decline and Policy (KcBB) entitled ‘Platteland, demografische ontwikkelingen en gevolgen' (Rural Area, Demographic Developments and Their Consequences) and an essay entitled ‘Kijk eens met een andere bril; over verburgerlijking in het landelijk gebied' (Take a Look Through Fresh Eyes; On the Gentrification of the Rural Area) by LEI Wageningen University and Research Centre (2009).
• 'Burgers en boeren bepalen het menu' (Consumers and Farmers Set the Menu), an essay by Marijke van Schendelen, member of the Council for the Rural Area (2009).
• 'Communicatie en besluitvorming' (Communication and Decision-making), including the report by Wageningen University and Research Centre entitled ‘Van escalerende naar constructieve waardeconflicten in het landelijk gebied' (From Escalating to Constructive Value Conflicts in the Rural Area) (2009).
• 'Besluitvorming rond het landelijk gebied: zoeken naar effectiviteit in de uitvoering' (Decision-making About the Rural Area: in Search of Effectiveness in Implementation), including the report of the same title by Erasmus University Rotterdam (2009).
• 'Schaarste in relatie tot het landelijk gebied' (Scarcity in Relation to the Rural Area), essay by Peter van Wijmen, Chairman of the Council for the Rural Area (2009).