Five years of research shows: agriculture and nature restoration can go hand in hand

27 February 2026 Research news item

Nature restoration and agriculture seem to be at odds with each other. But if five years of research in several farming areas has made one thing clear, it is that there are other ways in which both agriculture and nature can flourish. As long as farmers, nature conservation organisations and local authorities are willing to sit down together. “Start small and let others come and see.”

Desiccation, lack of space, nitrogen problems: anyone who has followed the debates in recent years will have got the impression that nature and agriculture are mainly at odds with each other and that anyone who wants to do something about nature restoration is directly threatening agriculture. “These contradictions are certainly being exaggerated at the national level,” says Hans de Kroon, professor of plant ecology at Radboud University.

'However at the local level, cooperation between different parties, such as farmers, nature conservation organisations, local authorities and water boards, tends to be much smoother. People know each other and feel connected to the history of a particular area. That forms a basis for discussing the future of that area."

Hans de Kroon

Getting things started

Over the past five years, De Kroon has been one of the driving forces behind the Living Labs research, a project funded by the National Research Agenda (NWA). In three areas – Ooijpolder-Groesbeek near Nijmegen, the Alblasserwaard and the Bollenstreek – all of which have ambitions to work on biodiversity restoration, researchers studied which factors contribute to successful forms of biodiversity restoration.

What do these areas have in common? “The various players in the region already knew each other, which meant they could discuss ways of getting started with nature restoration in an atmosphere of mutual trust.” That all sounds very nice, but all these parties don't just find each other by themselves, De Kroon emphasises. “You need people to get things started.”

Take Tiny Wigman, for example. She was concerned about the state of the Ooijpolder, but as a farmer's daughter, she knew better than to tell farmers what to do. Instead, she engaged in dialogue. Wigman asked local farmers what they were proud of, where they wanted to go and what their interest was in nature restoration. This created an atmosphere of mutual trust that formed the basis for further cooperation.

We are creating a small pond here

Mutual trust may form the basis, but it is not the only condition for achieving fruitful cooperation. “Recognition of the farmers and their expertise is also important. After all, the restoration measures take place on their land and they are responsible for maintenance. In consultation, we determined the best strips for planting hedges and corners for creating pools.”

In addition, there must be money to get plans off the ground. “Finding a party to finance projects is always a challenge. But in itself, it is not a bad idea to pay farmers for nature maintenance and restoration. Just as municipalities and water boards receive money to maintain verges and dykes.”

Dandelions madness?

In recent years, De Kroon and his colleagues have seen the wonderful things that can happen when all the preconditions are met. “Take the Ooijpolder, where a total of sixty kilometres of hedges have been planted on farmland. The effects of those hedges, but also of the flower strips that have been planted, are immediately apparent: insect populations are reviving and, in addition, structures of plants and food are emerging, allowing insects to move around and live less isolated lives.”

This immediate revival of biodiversity is already wonderful, but joint efforts have the potential for many more positive effects, De Kroon emphasises. “If the insect species on farmland also include pollinators and pest controllers, this can improve farmers' crops.” Another interesting experiment is sowing grass with a mixture of herbs that creates flower-rich grasslands and is less harmful, which could lead to reduced fertilizer use in the long term. “Farmers from previous generations, such as my late father, would not know what to make of this: cultivating dandelions instead of spraying them to death? What kind of madness is that?”

Attentive in the front row

Five years of research in Ooijpolder-Groesbeek, Alblasserwaard and the Bollenstreek region have convinced De Kroon that nature restoration and agriculture can go hand in hand, as long as this is done on the basis of mutual trust. “Mind you, there are other places in the Netherlands that we haven't studied, but where things are also going very well.” Although the NWA project is now complete, the research does not stop here. During the closing symposium, several councillors, including those from Nijmegen and Wijchen, sat attentively in the front row. Several farmers in the Land van Maas en Waal region are also interested.

Although years of cooperation between municipalities, farmers and other parties come at a price, De Kroon noticed that cooperation can start on a very small scale. “Start with something small and let others come and see. Then those initiatives can grow and grow through dialogue.”

Want to find out more about the different Living Labs? Watch the videos below about the Ooijpolder-Groesbeek, the Alblasserwaard and the Bollenstreek:

Ooijpolder-Groesbeek

Alblasserwaard

Bollenstreek

Contact information

Organizational unit: Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecology
Theme: Sustainability, Management, Nature