Strip cultivation on the Farm of the Future’s clay soil in Lelystad. Photo OANEvents The continuation of the Farm of the Future in Lelystad is at risk, according to the project website, following the rejection of a grant application. The project parties are looking for an alternative solution.
The Farm of the Future in Flevoland had funding up until July this year. To be able to continue, WUR and its partners had submitted a grant application to the Scheme for Experimental Locations. The application was rejected, though, because there were far too many applicants relative to the available funding. Only three of the 26 applicants could be given grants.
For the Farm of the Future to continue in its current form for the next five years, it needs about six million euros, of which five million will have to come from grants. If that amount cannot be secured by the end of the year, the plans will need to change drastically, and it could spell the end of the project.
People are shocked by the idea that an initiative of such strategic importance for the future of agriculture may have to stop
Pieter de Wolf, project manager
They have not reached that stage yet though, says project manager Pieter de Wolf. ‘People in the region and the sector have told us they are shocked by the idea that an initiative of such strategic importance for the future of agriculture may have to stop. We hope parties will step up that are willing to contribute financially to help ensure the project’s survival. But no single party has that kind of money lying around, so it may be a few months before we have clarity on the matter.’
Bequest
The bequest of 2.5 million euros that the Farm of the Future received earlier this year will not be used for this. De Wolf: ‘In principle, the bequest is intended to enable extra activities. People don’t generally leave their money so as to close gaps in the regular project funding.’
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency had better news for the Southeast Sand Farm of the Future in Vredepeel (Limburg), a WUR project focusing on sustainable agricultural systems on sandy soil: their grant application under the Scheme for Experimental Locations did get approved.
