Samenwerkingen tussen akkerbouw en veehouderij: delen om te kunnen vermenigvuldigen

In 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality published a vision for circular agriculture in which collaborations between arable and livestock farmers can play a significant role. Based on 18 interviews with agricultural entrepreneurs and advisers in five collaboration pilots under the PAVEx project, we looked at what motivates entrepreneurs to collaborate, and what challenges they face in their collaborations. According to the entrepreneurs, social aspects such as collective resourcefulness, physical and social proximity and a fair distribution of burdens and benefits form the basis for successful collaboration, and are thus a precondition for economic and ecological goals. The sector-based laws and regulations, unequal power relations and disproportionate economic risks that the interviewed collaborations face, hinder entrepreneurs from cooperating. Policies that want to facilitate collaboration should recognize integrality, support long-term practices and provide opportunities for customization to specific contexts.