“I thought the nitrogen map was ridiculous”, Carla Evers, who is also theleader of the list for BBB in Overijssel, looks back at her farm on Friday,June 10, 2022. “Nitrogen is taken as a measure of how nature is doing, but itis also for water management and soil maintenance.”
According to Evers, the country is locked down due to the government’s focuson nitrogen. “Many farmers have to leave, but the nature problem remains.”
‘oale ground’
Carla is originally from the Achterhoek, but moved in with her husband fifteenyears ago to help with his poultry farm, which has more than 14,000 chickensand just under 1,500 roosters. In addition to keeping poultry, they also growwheat to feed the chickens.
“Erwin’s family has been farming here since 1400. Family land is sacred. Youdon’t sell ‘Oale groond’, as they call it in Twente. We have no children, buta second cousin of Erwin’s would like to take over the business. Evers’.”
She looks at the wall, where a framed family tree hangs. Once outside, shepoints out the fields and woods around the farm. The stables with chickens areon the other side of the yard.
Stupid farmers
The land of Carla and Erwin Evers is partly located in the Natura 2000 areaSpringendal & Dal van de Mosbeek, which covers 1225 hectares and bordersGermany for more than ten kilometers to the north. It is remarkable that halfof the nature reserve is owned by private individuals such as the Eversfamily.
“The Natura 2000 areas were determined in 1992 and the selection was made bynature parties and the Ministry of LNV, without agricultural organizations.That was stupid of us farmers. Since then, the government has been pulling atour land. Whether we don’t want the land to sell.”
In order to steer the implementation around the Natura 2000 areas in the rightdirection, the provinces must examine for each area with all stakeholders whatis needed to better protect nature.
Nature 2000
Natura 2000 is a European network of protected natural areas, in which certainanimals, plants and their natural habitats are protected in order to preservebiodiversity. These protected areas have been designated by the EU MemberStates themselves on the basis of the Birds Directive (1979) and the HabitatsDirective (1992). The guidelines deal with the protection of species andhabitats.
Bad movie
“We own 24 hectares, half of which has been declared a Natura 2000 area. Afterconsultation with the province, nine hectares have already been converted tonature with a mandatory nature management package. For this we bought backarable land, six kilometers further away from Springendal & Dal van deMosbeek,” explains Evers.
Another nine-hectare piece of the Evers family has also received measures fromthe government. For example, a piece of arable land must become permanentgrassland and another piece of land falls under ‘wet damage’ through thezoning plan. Evers: “That must remain water-rich for nature, making it lesssuitable for agricultural use.”
Carla Evers sighs as she tells her story. She feels like she’s in a bad movie.”This area in Northeast Twente has been cultivated by farmers. A farmer whohas been farming since 1350 was recently bought out. In the last few years,six farmers have moved in the immediate vicinity.”
In the video below, political reporter Marieke van der Zilver explainsanother problem of the nitrogen problem: the gap between urban and ruralareas.
Air washer
Their dearest wish is to continue farming at the current location. They wantto do everything they can and going to court is not ruled out. “We are membersof all kinds of clubs such as the Fertile Cycle for Arable Farming forsustainable soil and Farmers for Drinking Water for cleaner groundwater andless nitrogen.”
Carla and Erwin are also busy with nitrogen reduction. “Our solution is tofirst pass air from the house through a newly developed air scrubber fromVencomatic. This purified air has 90 percent less nitrogen,” explains Carla.
“Only this method, which has been fully tested in North Brabant, has not yetbeen recognized and guaranteed by the government. They don’t even want to lookat it.”
Last farmer
Carla expresses what many farmers feel. That the government unilaterallydetermines whether a farm fits in an area. She looks at the Natura 2000 areaahead. “Look, Germany is already behind that. According to the nitrogen map,we had to reduce our land partly by 95 percent and partly by 70 percent, eventhough fifty percent of the nitrogen that I am charged with at my companycomes from across the border,” she says. .
RIVM charts show that on average about 40 percent of the nitrogen emissions inSpringendal & Dal van de Mosbeek come from Germany.
“Even if the last farmer leaves the area, we will not reach the standard weneed to achieve. Northeast Twente is at stake. If there are no more farmers,the authentic character of the area will disappear,” concludes Carla .
Response of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
In response to Carla Evers’ claim that the Ministry does not look at theVencomatic air washer, a spokesperson said the following. “The Ministry of LNVis familiar with Vencomatic’s ECO Air Care system. That system is not an’ordinary’ air scrubber, by the way, but a total concept, of which the airscrubber is a part. The expectation is that this system will lead to so-calledsource-oriented emission reduction.”
In this way, livestock farmers must prevent the emission of harmful substancesas much as possible, for example by separating urine and manure under theslatted floor. The ministry refers to the letter to parliament that was senton 25 November. “This subject has the full attention of the Ministry. The 25November letter sets out the policy for promoting innovation in low-emissionhousing systems. Under the previous cabinet, efforts have already been made tosupport livestock farmers who want to invest in innovative, source-orientedsustainability of stables.”
The ministry indicates that on September 26, a subsidy was granted to aninnovation project with the Vencomatic air scrubber. “It is a partnership inwhich the livestock farmer is also involved in the article. In 2022, twoprojects were granted a subsidy to enable further research and development ofthe ECO Air Care system. One project takes place at a company with broilerbreeders and the another project at a broiler farm.”
With regard to a possible recognition and guarantee of the air scrubber, theministry says that measurements of emission reduction are carried out by aresearch organisation. “The measurement results can also be used for possiblerecognition. A request must be submitted to RVO for this. Measurements must bemade during a year, in order to exclude seasonal effects. And measurementsmust be taken at several companies.”