© Kristof Vadino
The agricultural lobby and associated politicians focus the farmers’ protest on nature. They play agriculture and nature against each other, Natuurpunt responded on Tuesday afternoon. “In doing so, they are allowing both the population and the farmers to suffocate.”
CD&V has a few proposals ready to cool the anger of farmers. One of these is that agricultural land must remain in the hands of farmers. The party no longer wants agricultural land to be converted to another destination in spatial planning procedures and does not want the government and Natuurpunt to purchase agricultural land anymore.
“Anyone who tries to weaken environmental measures and focuses on nature diverts attention from the essence: the failing agricultural policy of which farmers in particular suffer,” Jos Ramaekers of Natuurpunt responded on Tuesday afternoon. “Nature is not the culprit.”
According to the organization, nature does not swallow up agricultural land: only 1.8 percent of the Flemish agricultural area falls under a nature management plan, and only 0.2 percent in reconfirmed agricultural areas. “That contrasts with the 12 percent that is used as horse pasture or the many hectares that are converted by local authorities into residential or industrial zones,” Ramaekers emphasizes.
Natuurpunt mainly expands nature on land that is less suitable for agriculture, such as wet grasslands in stream valleys, poor heathlands or old forests. “We are trying to connect the fragmented nature reserves so that they are less vulnerable and can act as a climate buffer in the event of drought and floods,” says Ramaekers.
He recalls that 25 years ago it was agreed in Flanders to evolve towards 750,000 hectares of agricultural area, 150,000 hectares of nature reserve and 53,000 hectares of forest area. Today there are 783,251 hectares of agricultural land on the map. According to Natuurpunt, the 33,251 hectares of missing nature are still awaited.