Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Wisconsin companies with farm-related technology could help the Netherlands reach its pollution reduction goals without hampering farmers.
A new government is in charge in the Netherlands, and one of its challenges will be determining how to fight climate change without hurting farmers.
The four-party coalition government took office in July 2024, and two populist parties—the far-right, nationalist Party for Freedom (PVV) and the Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB)—are part of the cabinet for the first time, according to Clean Energy Wire, a Berlin-based nonprofit that reports on energy issues. They will share cabinet positions along with the conservative New Social Contract and the liberal, pro-business People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy.
The coalition agreement affirms that the Netherlands will stick with the European Union climate goals, which include reducing net greenhouse gases by at least 55% by 2030 and becoming climate-neutral by 2050.
But the new coalition will not go as far as the previous government whose proposals included requiring farmers to reduce their herds by half by the end of the decade as a way to decrease nitrogen emissions. That idea sparked major protests by Dutch farmers; it will not be part of the new plan. The coalition is also rejecting a carbon dioxide tax proposed by the previous government.
Agriculture is a big part of the Dutch economy, providing 17.5% of total exports and producing €65 billion ($76 billion USD) in annual revenue. The Netherlands government says its country is the second biggest agricultural exporter, behind only the U.S.
The BBB will have a strong voice in future plans for farmers, as the party will lead the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. In regional, provincial elections, the BBB has opposed using farmland for solar panels and it has opposed new wind projects on land.
The incoming coalition says it will opt for offshore wind installations while also protecting fisheries.
Wisconsin companies with ag tech solutions may find interested partners in the Netherlands as the country tries to meet climate goals while balancing those targets with the needs of the agricultural community.
