Agrarian nature conservation organisations: distribution and size

Most agrarian nature conservation organisations are located in the north and west of the country and in the Achterhoek region.

Current situation

Most of the organisations are located in areas with sandy soils (36%), particularly in the eastern sandy-soil area, while 24% are active in the clay areas and 28% in peat areas. The latter figure is in fact quite large, given that peat areas only account for 12% of the farmed land in the Netherlands. In peat areas, however, opportunities for agrarian nature management are extensive, both as regards the feasibility of incorporation into farming operations and the potential nature conservation effect.

Approximately a third of the organisations have fewer than 50 members, one third have between 50 and 100, and one third have more than 100 members. One organisation has as many as 800 members.

In the areas where agrarian nature conservation organisations are active, an average of half the farmers are members. For a third of the organisations, the figure is in fact higher than 75%. On a national scale, an estimated 11-16% of farmers were members of an agrarian nature conservation organisation in 2001. Half of the organisations have both farmer and non-farmer members. Involvement on the part of non-farmers is highest in the west of the country, where 83% of the organisations have non-farmer members.

Nationally, at least 25% of the farmed land, approximately 500 000 hectares, is covered by agrarian nature conservation organisations. In the south of the country, a relatively large number of organisations cover a large area (more than 10 000 ha). This is due to the fact that the large areas covered by regional farming organisations are also designated as being covered by an agrarian nature conservation organisation.