Brabant wants to offer more help to entrepreneurs with innovative livestock farming

The Provincial Council has asked to appoint an independent quartermaster. The Provincial Executive appointed Mr Gé Backus in that role in August 2023. Three questions guided the preparation of the report: How is it possible to make feeding and management measures possible, how can licensing for low-emission systems be made easier and what is needed to grant licensing for Rav (Ammonia and Livestock Farming Regulations) certified stable systems? in relation to the Nature Conservation Act.

The report presents a number of choices. First of all, the quartermaster recommends working with ambitious but also realistic goals and a feasible timeline. This should apply to both governments and should also be guiding for the business community. It is also important that we work with clear, unambiguous agreements as well as a more joint approach from the various authorities. In addition, it is desirable to develop conditions-creating instruments as quickly as possible that entrepreneurs can use. Finally, help with the process is important.

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The province wants to provide more support to farmers who innovate. Together with the business community, we are examining whether a case manager can be appointed for this. This includes one or more people who assist innovative entrepreneurs with the process of licensing from the various authorities, financing, risk coverage, etc. and any necessary contacts with technical suppliers.

The recommendations fit in seamlessly with the agreements made by the current GS council. The Brabant Rural Area Program (BPLG) and the Brabant Nitrogen Development Approach (BOS) are already working on a coherent approach that indicates where there are and where there are no options. The BPLG is also working on an approach to achieve more goal management in order to create a more condition-creating (extra-statutory) set of instruments.

A revised Roadmap for Stable Adjustments is being developed. This and the already developed ‘assistance with appropriate assessment’ provide tools to achieve a better process of licensing, supervision and enforcement (VTH).

Sand provinces

Collaborating provinces and sectors have previously called for attention to accelerating innovation under the name Acceleration Approach to Innovation in Livestock Farming (active since the beginning of 2023). We see that Dutch agriculture faces major challenges and that making innovations possible at an accelerated pace is essential to achieve a sustainable revenue model for livestock farmers.