Netherlands: Texel farmers contribute to sustainable beer

Arable farmer Matthijs de Lugt walks through the undulating barley and makes some space between the culms to demonstrate what makes this parcel of land inclusive. 'We sown according to the bird grain method. This means that the sowing distance is greater and this creates more space for birds to breed. This mainly concerns species such as the yellow wagtail and the skylark.' This year, the arable farmer from De Cocksdorp, together with colleagues on Texel, will provide about 100 hectares of sustainable malting barley. Compensation In addition to the wider sowing distance, De Lugt has also created herbaceous field margins. Both adjustments ensure that the total revenue is a lot lower than usual, but the brewer gives compensation for the decrease in revenue and a plus on the market price of 20 percent. That is sufficient compensation for De Lugt to participate in the project. ...