Emergence of farmers and citizen initiatives

There are more and more initiatives between farmers and citizens, where the individual consumer has direct contact with the farmer and a say in what is produced. This occurs in the form of cooperatives, gentlemen's farms and neighbourhood farms, for example. It is also on the rise in Limburg.

Paints of the current system

What farmers produce normally comes via a detour of supermarkets and food companies to the consumer. At the same time, farmers are in a difficult position: the power lies with banks and supermarkets. They are dependent on subsidies and have to compete on the world market.

Herenfarms

This system is broken when consumers are linked directly to farmers as owners. The consumer gets the products she wants, the farmer is assured of sales and income, without bypassing banks and supermarkets. In addition to a one-time investment, connected households pay 10 eurosa weekly fee to cover operating costs. In return, they receive products every week.
In Boxtel, a gentlemen's farm is already active, in Weert a cooperative has been established in which already 130 people are affiliated, Herenboeren Land van Weert. If there are 150 participants and a suitable location is found in consultation with the municipality, a gentlemen's farm can also start in Weert.

Neighborhood

In Maastricht, there is a neighborhood. Here farmers can place their products, consumers become members of the Buurderij without any obligation and can then collect the products from the affiliated farmers every week and meet the producers. Neighborhoods can also be found in Sittard and Heerlen.

Shared Wealth: cooperative store

Gedeelde Weelde is a cooperative store in Maastricht for daily groceries. The food and grocery store is operated jointly. This includes not only sales, but also knowledge sharing and inspiration between producers, consumers and retailers. Starting point is food sovereignty: the right of people to healthy and culturally appropriate food, produced in an ecologically responsible and sustainable way in a food and agricultural system that is designed by themselves.

Crowd farming at Kuusj

Farmers who don't want to hand over the reins, but would like to involve consumers in the business, the product and the financing, can consider crowd farming. The consumer invests in the product before it's even there, enabling the start-up or growth of the business. For example, pig farm Kuusj has set up a crowd farming action to raise € 40,000 for further development. As a crowdfarmer you buy a part of a pig before it is born. After about a year, when the pig is big, the consumer receives meat in return.

Future?

How do you view the rise of such initiatives?
What do you expect to happen in the future on this front?
Let us know in a comment below!

Sources: Volkskrant, Divided Wealth, Herenboeren Land van Weert, The Pig Herd, Farmers and Neighbors