Local food might just be the rare place where left and right still meet
An opinion piece written by Ronja Doorenbos
The European Commission recently decided to scrap several environmental and agricultural standards for farmers, claiming they had become “too polarising.” Under the banner of administrative simplification, rules meant to make agriculture more sustainable have been quietly dropped. A win for protesting farmers, perhaps, but is this really the right answer to increasing polarisation?
Local food might be one of those spaces where left and right actually do find common ground.
Tension is growing. Not just in Brussels, but across society. Climate change, pandemics, wars, trade tensions: they all reveal just how vulnerable we, and our food system, are. But if you look at what citizens across the political spectrum have in common, it’s a shared desire to be less dependent on an intangible world. More grip over our food and surroundings starts at home.
Farmer or activist?
The image of a deep divide between “the farmer” and “the climate activist” has become familiar. Farmers are cast as polluters, while activists are labelled alarmists with unrealistic ideals, but those caricatures are often not true and increasingly outdated. More and more farmers do want to change, but feel unheard. At the same time, many consumers want to buy local — but don’t know where to start, or struggle with a system that only works for those with time, money, and access.
A local and transparent food system could bring the farmer closer to the consumer. It’s practical, concrete, and brings producers and consumers physically and socially closer together. Even Caroline van der Plas (BBB) and Esther Ouwehand (Partij voor de Dieren) would likely agree on that. It makes politics tangible. Less about policy memos, more about conversations with your neighbours.
Making food tangible
The Netherlands exports about 75% of its food production, while at the same time importing much of what ends up on our plates. That open economy may be efficient, but it’s also socially fragile. Farmers produce in large quantities, with little control over their own produce. Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly disconnected from the origin of their food with everything always available in the supermarket
And it’s precisely in that fragility that a better connection can begin. Local supply chains give farmers a renewed sense of purpose in their communities, while giving consumers real insight into how their food is made. Sustainability then becomes less abstract and less divisive. It’s not just about nitrogen policies, but about trust, cooperation, and visibility.
That’s not to say local food is a silver bullet. Not everything can or should come from nearby, but it can be the beginning of a broader shift toward a fairer and more inclusive food system and toward a Dutch food culture that connects people.
A call to action: open your gates, and visit your local farmer
Calls to eat local are nothing new, but this one is especially for those already working with food, for whom knowledge comes with social responsibility. We need connection between policymakers, farmers, citizens, supermarkets, and schools. And that connection won’t come from rules imposed from the top down. It starts with you. So: talk to each other. Farmers, invite urban neighbours to visit. Local governments and civil servants, support small-scale supply and visit farms yourselves. Citizens, ask questions and buy nearby. And above all: stop painting each other as ‘the other’. The storm from outside is not going to pass anytime soon, but we can act. The direction is still in our hands and local food might just be the rare point where polarised positions start to align.
Eye for Nature
Nature-based consultancy