Zuid-Limburg

Midden-Limburg

Noord-Limburg

Arnhem/Nijmegen

Noord-OveriJssel

Zuidoost-Drenthe

Zuidwest-Gederland

West-Noord-Brabant

Twente

Zuidoost-Noord-Brabant

Midden-Noord-Brabant

Rijnmond Zuidoost Zuid-Holland

Noordoost-Noord-Brabant

Noord-DrentheZuidoost-Friesland

Achterhoek

Veluwe

Hot Grooi en VechstreekZuidwest-OveriJssel

Zuidwest-Drenthe

Flevoland

Flevoland

Utrecht

Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen

Overig Zeeland

Oost-Groningen

Delfzijk en omgeving

Overig GroningenNoord-Friesland

Zuidwest-Friesland

Kop van Noord-Holland

Alkmaar en omgeving

IjmondZaanstreek

Oost-Zuid-Holland

Agglomeratie-Haarlem

Agglomeratie Leiden en Bolenstreek

Agglomeratie-s’Gravehage

Del�en Westland

Grote Amsterdam

“FROM PRODUCTIVE FARMTO RURAL AMENITY”

FS FACTSHEET Nº 3 — 06 | 2013FOR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS ONLY

DELTAMETROPOLIS ASSOCIATION AIMS TO PROMOTE AND GUIDE THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DUTCH METROPOLITAN REGION, KNOWN AS RANDSTAD-HOLLAND

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*Regional level between municipalities and provinces. In 1970, designed by the Regional Research Coordination Committee, to which the format is given

its name. The Netherlands has 40 COROP areas.

0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-80% 80-100%

DECLINE IN NUMBER OF FARM-RELATEDJOBS BY COROP* REGION, 2010

Number of farms, Netherlands total

x 1000

1950 2012

Decrease in number of farm-related jobs, Netherlands total

450x 1000

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

002000 2012

Total labor force, regularly employed

Number of multi-purpose farms

Individual farmer*

*Refers to a natural person, sole proprietorship or partnership (general partnership or limited)

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

DELTAMETROPOLIS ASSOCIATION FACTSHEET

AUTHORKatherine VanHoose, research within the framework of the ‘Landschap van de Deltametropool’ project at the Deltametropolis Association and the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment.

Mauritsweg 51-a, 3012 JW RotterdamPO box 600, 3000 AP Rotterdam, The Netherlands

+31 (0)10 413 0927 | www.deltametropool.nl secretariaat@deltametropool.nl

urban landscapes, as well as developing a new agriculture system that compliments and expands upon the existing value in these areas.The opportunity to bridge the gap between the rural and urban spaces is growing. Social farming is stimulated by societal demands to renew the countryside and keep cities healthy. The combination of the production of regional goods, green care services, recreation facilities and education will lead to a sustainable future for agriculture and create high quality urban areas as a result.

SOURCESPierik, Cor. “Number of Farms and Market Gardens Reduced Further.”CBS: Statistics Netherlands, 26 Sept. 2012. Web.The Netherlands Institute for Social Research. “A Countryside for All Dutch People,” 2008.Hassink, Jan, Hulsink, Willem, and Grin, John. “Development of Care Farms in the Netherlands,” October, 2012.

FARM DIVERSIFICATION CONTACT

Shift in farm economics provides opportunity for diversifi cation

Agriculture comprises the greatest part of land use in the Netherlands by far, taking in nearly 70% of the total land area. Buildings, semi-built areas, and areas for transport occupy only 10%. Over the past 50 years, a steady decline in the number of farms has occurred in the Netherlands, as the urban areas continue to expand and the amount of rural area declines. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), nearly fi ve businesses are discontinued every day as the agricultural sector moves towards large-scale farm operations. Despite the declining number of businesses, total output has remained at the same level, due to the strength of large-scale farms, which use less land for the same amount of production than their hobby farm counterparts.In recent years, farmers have been forced to turn

to multi-functional agricultural operations in order to receive additional income. This diversifi cation, known as “social farming”, has resulted in a myriad of services, from the farmer becoming a landscape manager or nature conservationist, to their farm becoming a destination for personal refl ection, a weekend vacation, or an educational trip for children. According to a recent report by the Netherlands Social and Cultural Planning Offi ce, the countryside offers a healthy living environment, low levels of concern for crime, less work-related stress than in urban areas, and a strong social participation within the area. Still, their poor connection to urban areas and limited services continue to keep people at bay, and employment opportunities continue to decrease as higher-educated people move to the city.Although the number of multi-functional farms has increased rapidly over the last decade, the greatest challenge will come from connecting the rural and

FARM FACTS

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