Public campaign Agriculture and horticulture sector during Amstel Gold Race

Photo: LLTB/George Deswijzen

'Don't forget. Farmers and gardeners provide our food.' That text could be read on a huge banner on Sunday during the Amstel Gold Race in the South Limburg hills. On the Fromberg (location Scheumerweg/Scheumermolenweg) in Schin op Geul, farmers and market gardeners along the route came together and showed the public this statement on a mega banner measuring 225 square meters. 

The agricultural sector is in the news every day and there is a lot of talk about it. There is talk of buying up agricultural businesses to deal with the nitrogen problem, but the expropriation of farmers has also been a topic of discussion in recent months. Farmers and market gardeners are often seen as the cause of the problems, while they are in fact the solution," says Léon Faassen, chairman of the Limburg Agricultural and Horticultural Association (LLTB). Working on the transition to a more sustainable agriculture and horticulture and the preservation of a vital countryside requires time, consultation and vision, according to the farmer foreman. Short-term thinking, trial balloons, voting and scaremongering have no place here. What we need is clarity and certainty for the future and a bit of trust.

Farmers and gardeners keep Limburg healthy. The agricultural sector is part of the solution to various challenges facing society. Whether it is in the area of our landscape, greenery in and around our homes, economy and climate, public health and environment, the labor market, infrastructure or safety. But we must not forget that they also provide our food. Perhaps we all take that a little too much for granted,' argues Faassen. With this public-friendly action, we want to playfully draw the attention of the inhabitants of the Netherlands to this fact once again. Especially in the current crisis, it is of great importance that our farmers and growers can continue to produce food. They also take care of our beautiful Limburg landscape and nature. We call upon policymakers in the Netherlands to think carefully about the future of our country and to do this especially together with our sector, so that together we can find solutions in the various files," says Faassen.

Action during Amstel Gold Race

The biggest cycling event in the Netherlands took place in Limburg this weekend, a good time to draw attention to the agricultural sector through a mega banner on Sunday. Especially in the hilly landscape of South Limburg, where many farmers live and work, this was the moment to be visible for the many thousands of viewers of this sporting event and to give them an important message: "Do not forget. Farmers and horticulturalists provide our food.