FS
FACTSHEET Nº 3 — 06 | 2013
DELTAMETROPOLIS ASSOCIATION AIMS TO PROMOTE AND GUIDE THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DUTCH METROPOLITAN REGION, KNOWN AS RANDSTAD-HOLLAND
FOR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS ONLY
“FROM PRODUCTIVE FARM TO RURAL AMENITY” Delfzijk en omgeving Overig Groningen Noord-Friesland
Oost-Groningen
Noord-Drenthe Zuidwest-Friesland
Zuidoost-Friesland
Zuidwest-Drenthe
Kop van Noord-Holland
Zuidoost-Drenthe
Alkmaar en omgeving Noord-OveriJssel Ijmond
Zaanstreek
Agglomeratie-Haarlem
Flevoland
Grote Amsterdam
Twente Zuidwest-OveriJssel
Hot Grooi en Vechstreek
Agglomeratie Leiden en Bolenstreek
Veluwe
Oost-Zuid-Holland
Agglomeratie-s’Gravehage
Utrecht Achterhoek
Delften Westland Arnhem/Nijmegen Rijnmond
Zuidoost Zuid-Holland
Zuidwest-Gederland
Noordoost-Noord-Brabant West-Noord-Brabant
Midden-Noord-Brabant
Overig Zeeland
Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant
Noord-Limburg
Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen
DECLINE IN NUMBER OF FARM-RELATED JOBS BY COROP* REGION, 2010
Midden-Limburg
Zuid-Limburg
0-20%
20-40%
40-60%
60-80%
80-100%
*Regional level between municipalities and provinces. In 1970, designed by the Regional Research Coordination Committee, to which the format is given its name. The Netherlands has 40 COROP areas.
FACTSHEET Nº 3 — 06 | 2013
Flevoland
DELTAMETROPOLIS ASSOCIATION FACTSHEET
Shift in farm economics provides opportunity for diversification Agriculture comprises the greatest part of land use in the Netherlands by far, taking in nearly 70% of the total land area. Buildings, semi-built areas, and areas for transport occupy only 10%. Over the past 50 years, a steady decline in the number of farms has occurred in the Netherlands, as the urban areas continue to expand and the amount of rural area declines. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), nearly five businesses are discontinued every day as the agricultural sector moves towards large-scale farm operations. Despite the declining number of businesses, total output has remained at the same level, due to the strength of large-scale farms, which use less land for the same amount of production than their hobby farm counterparts. In recent years, farmers have been forced to turn
to multi-functional agricultural operations in order to receive additional income. This diversification, known as “social farming”, has resulted in a myriad of services, from the farmer becoming a landscape manager or nature conservationist, to their farm becoming a destination for personal reflection, a weekend vacation, or an educational trip for children. According to a recent report by the Netherlands Social and Cultural Planning Office, the countryside offers a healthy living environment, low levels of concern for crime, less work-related stress than in urban areas, and a strong social participation within the area. Still, their poor connection to urban areas and limited services continue to keep people at bay, and employment opportunities continue to decrease as higher-educated people move to the city. Although the number of multi-functional farms has increased rapidly over the last decade, the greatest challenge will come from connecting the rural and
FARM FACTS
Decrease in number of farm-related jobs, Netherlands total
Number of farms, Netherlands total
Total labor force, regularly employed
Individual farmer*
FACTSHEET Nº 3 — 06 | 2013
Number of multi-purpose farms
450
x 1000
450
x 1000
900
400
400
800
350
350
700
300
300
600
250
250
500
200
200
400
150
150
300
100
100
200
50
50
100
0
0 1950
2012
0 2000
2012 *Refers to a natural person, sole proprietorship or partnership (general partnership or limited)
FARM DIVERSIFICATION
urban landscapes, as well as developing a new agriculture system that compliments and expands upon the existing value in these areas. The opportunity to bridge the gap between the rural and urban spaces is growing. Social farming is stimulated by societal demands to renew the countryside and keep cities healthy. The combination of the production of regional goods, green care services, recreation facilities and education will lead to a sustainable future for agriculture and create high quality urban areas as a result. SOURCES Pierik, Cor. “Number of Farms and Market Gardens Reduced Further.” CBS: Statistics Netherlands, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. The Netherlands Institute for Social Research. “A Countryside for All Dutch People,” 2008. Hassink, Jan, Hulsink, Willem, and Grin, John. “Development of Care Farms in the Netherlands,” October, 2012.
CONTACT AUTHOR Katherine VanHoose, research within the framework of the ‘Landschap van de Deltametropool’ project at the Deltametropolis Association and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.
Mauritsweg 51-a, 3012 JW Rotterdam PO box 600, 3000 AP Rotterdam, The Netherlands +31 (0)10 413 0927 | www.deltametropool.nl secretariaat@deltametropool.nl