Policy advice | Project news | Project report | Publication | Statement Policy advice: an active land and property policy for land-based agriculture

Land is at the heart of farming, as one of the most essential factors of production in Flemish farms. Much more than land ownership, access to land is essential for farmers in this regard. Access to land use and, above all, the long-term security of access to that land, is the foundation of land-based agricultural enterprises. It is the basis to generate an income, a stepping stone to sufficient autonomy, a prerequisite for permits, the measure of livestock numbers, manure disposal and support measures, and provides enough certainty to dare to invest, and so much more.

Long-term certainty about access to land is therefore an absolute condition for building a future for land-based agriculture in Flanders.

However, the reality on the ground in Flanders today is that there is a large and growing problem of access to land for professional farmers. This observation is often narrowed down to a problem of rising land prices. Discussions about the high price of agricultural land mask the fact that farmers do not necessarily have to become owners of the land they farm. Above all, long-term security of use is crucial. But this is also not a sure thing. The current policy approach does not provide sufficient guarantees of long-term security. Even for extensive land ownership in the hands of public institutions, no (unambiguous) policy has yet been written.

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Beleidsadvies: een actief grond- en pandenbeleid voor grondgebonden landbouw

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Policy brief: proactive land and property policies for land-based agriculture