Sustainability in the agricultural sector in the Netherlands, drivers and motivations behind a sustainable choice.

Abstract

This research looks at the motivation for farmers to adjust their practices to prevent damage to natural ecosystems, benefit flora and fauna or to become more sustainable in any other way. The research focusses on the non-animal part of agriculture, to give a holistic perspective of factors and actors that stimulate or demand sustainable practices of farmers. Factors such as environmental degradation of groundwater, fertile soil, but also social factors such as pressure of consumers, push farmers to adjust their practices to be able to still cultivate crops. Not only external, but also internal drivers stimulate farmers to adjust their practices, for example strong norms and values, or when it is a good business case to use less pesticides or artificial fertiliser. The landscape of agricultural perspectives in the Dutch agriculture is widespread. From common farmers who use common pesticides and artificial fertiliser, to organic farmers who only use organic and natural products on the crops, and biodynamic farmers who see agriculture in connection to the rest of the cosmos and have even more strict practices than organic farmers. All different types of farmers were concluded in the research, with different main crops. Thirteen respondents in total, farmers and experts are interviewed from different agricultural organisations. Several external, internal and connecting drivers are found. The most important external drivers are pressures of different stakeholders, such as supermarkets, NGOs, and the government. Due to a recent campaign of Greenpeace, a lot of farmers are pushed to comply with the requirements of the PlanetProof certification mark, or they will lose certain supermarkets as customer. Intrinsic motivation and collaboration between farmers within a sector and between different sectors are the most important internal and connecting drivers for sustainable agriculture, combined with technological innovation and new research and knowledge. Obstacles such as higher costs, more labour and an unfamiliarity of organic pesticides prevent farmers to change their practices. A higher price for more sustainable crops would stimulate the road to sustainability, but supermarkets and consumers are not willing to pay a higher price and it is difficult for farmers to ask for a higher price. This research shows the complicated world of sustainable agriculture; the struggle to make profit as an agricultural company with corporate interests, and the challenge to work together with nature and maintain natural ecosystems.