J. Ros

Participatory approaches for a transition in agriculture: the case of the Netherlands

What does climate change imply for the agricultural sector and the long-term agricultural policy agenda in the Netherlands? Which climate options are particularly interesting for agriculture? And, what are the implications of far reaching reductions of green house gas emissions for the transition to a sustainable agriculture? The 4th National Environmental Policy Plan for the Netherlands (VROM, 2001) concluded climate change was one of the persisting problems – next to energy, mobility, agriculture and the management of natural resources – that requires a new type of policy. Transition management including systems innovation over a generation time was considered vital to resolve such persisting problems. Besides its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture does also face environmental problems (e.g. high nitrogen loads) and animal diseases, and needs to respond to increasing requirements regarding animal welfare. A process of a societal transition may take several decades. Preparing for a change requires the identification of adequate options, including research and development, experiments and the design of proper institutions. It is about climate options, but it essentially explores options for the agricultural system. The involvement of many stakeholders is essential. This chapter first explores new tools to evaluate the progress of transition processes. We examine how to measure progress and identify indicators describing the process of change. It might be regarded as a top-down perspective on the process of system innovation. However, numerous activities are observed in the transition process. Some initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are reviewed, and we will explore the relevance of co-operation in the attempt to implement them. The stakeholders involved in the policy process are identified. 11