Staatssecretaris Landbouw

Dutch State Secretary for Agriculture

Responsibilities and Role

The State Secretary for Agriculture in the Netherlands is responsible for a wide range of agricultural policies and initiatives, including:

• Food safety and quality
• Animal welfare and veterinary public health
• Nature and landscape management
• Fisheries and aquaculture
• Agricultural research and innovation

The State Secretary works closely with the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality to develop and implement these policies. They also represent the Netherlands in international negotiations on agricultural issues.

Current State Secretary

The current State Secretary for Agriculture is Henk Staghouwer. He was appointed to the position in January 2022. Staghouwer is a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party.

Prior to his appointment as State Secretary, Staghouwer served as a member of the Dutch Parliament and as a councilor in the municipality of Staphorst.

Challenges Facing the State Secretary

The State Secretary for Agriculture faces a number of challenges, including:

• The need to increase agricultural productivity while reducing the environmental impact of agriculture
• The need to ensure a fair income for farmers
• The need to protect animal welfare and public health
• The need to adapt to the effects of climate change

The State Secretary is working to address these challenges through a variety of policies and initiatives. For example, the government is investing in research and innovation to develop new agricultural technologies that are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Recent Initiatives

Some of the recent initiatives undertaken by the State Secretary for Agriculture include:

• Launching a new program to support farmers in reducing their nitrogen emissions
• Investing in research to develop new, more sustainable agricultural practices
• Working with other countries to promote sustainable agriculture

These initiatives are helping to address the challenges facing the agricultural sector in the Netherlands and to ensure a sustainable future for Dutch agriculture.

Additional Resources

• Website of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
• Dutch government website on agriculture
• Website of Wageningen University & Research, a leading agricultural research university in the Netherlands