43 minute read
Dr. Drs. Ingeborg de Wolf (20145115) Wageningen University
BY OELE STEENKS IN WITH DR. DRS. INGEBORG DE WOLF. PHOTOGRAPHY INGEBORG DE WOLF/WUR
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Agricultural export success under EU climate rules and Nl. coalition agreement?
The Rutte 4 cabinet seems to be intensely concerned with Dutch agriculture and horticulture in the coalition agreement. The government is proud that we are the second largest agricultural export country in the world, but something has to change quickly about the environmental problems. After D66 announced that the livestock population should be halved, there is now an ambitious framework on paper. Sustainability and circular agriculture are high on the list. Drs. Ingeborg de Wolf (20145115), head of the department of Livestock & Environment at Wageningen University & Research, discusses the thrust of the coalition agreement. She is positive about new forms of agriculture and horticulture. She highlights the importance of technological, social and economic innovations and of an integrated view of sustainability within agriculture and horticulture. M AINTAIN OPPOSITION? The Netherlands is a major player when it comes to production and - thanks to the port of Rotterdam - export of agricultural and horticultural products. At the same time, in the coalition agreement of the Rutte 4 government, agriculture is under pressure. Can the Netherlands maintain this leading position?
IDW: "The coalition agreement contains ambitious goals that directly affect agriculture and horticulture: The Netherlands wants to be a leader in Europe in combatting global warming. Therefore, we must emit at least 55% less carbon dioxide (CO2) by 2030, and the coalition agreement mentions a target reduction of 60%. By 2050 at the latest, the Netherlands wants to be climate neutral. This not only concerns carbon dioxide itself, but also other greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). We express these greenhouse gases in terms of CO2 equivalents. Every year, agriculture emits about 27 megatons of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases. The reduction that agriculture must realize is enormous. The coalition agreement also includes a major task for nitrogen emissions: not in 2035, but already in 2030, 74% of the area of nitrogen-sensitive nature in protected Natura 2000 areas must have a healthy nitrogen level. This is necessary because we want to protect our nature and restore the loss of biodiversity. Nitrogen emissions in agriculture mainly occur in the form of
ammonia (NH3). The emissions are largely due to the livestock sector. The directions mentioned are: closed substance cycle farming, extensification, conversion, barn modifications, more outdoor grazing, innovation and relocation. The coalition agreement also focuses on animal husbandry. The starting point here is positive animal welfare, i.e. not preventing animal welfare from being compromised, but improving animal welfare. Drastic measures involve costs. This also applies to measures in agriculture and horticulture. These measures will be partially or fully discounted in the cost price of products. If the market price then also rises to maintain margins, our products become more expensive and it becomes more difficult to maintain our leading position as exporters. At the same time, it is questionable how realistic our current prices are if we include negative externalities, such as greenhouse gas emissions, gases and nitrogen, and degradation of bio-diversity, do not factor into the price."
Surely these higher cost prices will also apply in other EU member states?
IdW: "This is slightly different for our country. The Dutch business community will want to maintain its position as a major exporter of agricultural and horticultural products. The question is how the government will view this. It has been agreed at the European level that the targets for reducing emissions will be tightened and that emissions from agriculture must not exceed the amount of carbon sequestered in land use. What does this mean in concrete terms? The Netherlands must greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but in biological processes this can, of course, never be brought back to zero. The remaining emissions must be compensated for by creating many forests. This places our small country in a difficult dilemma. Because we export a lot, the agricultural sector is responsible for relatively large emissions of greenhouse gases. These emissions are charged to the Netherlands: after all, the products are produced here. The issue is the so-called "Net Zero" approach, which has been embraced as a strategy by the European Union. To this end, the EU has now combined emissions from agriculture and carbon sequestration through targeted land use into one category. This is Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use, or the AFOLU. This should reach a net zero for Europe. In the coming years, negotiations should clarify how agricultural emissions and carbon sequestration will be regulated at the European level. The question arises whether countries that produce a lot of food for other EU countries can make use of carbon sequestration in those importing countries. The worst case scenario is that the Netherlands has to solve the problem on its own. Another point is that if the Netherlands starts producing less to meet the "Net Zero" approach, we will have to import more. This means that elsewhere in the world there will be greater emissions problems because people there are producing less sustainably. Those emissions, while not charged to us, are at odds with the ambition to achieve sustainable agrifood systems."
IS THE END OF MEGA-STALLS IMMINENT? Livestock production has grown large in recent decades through scale and efficiency. Megastalls have determined modern business operations. Are we going to phase out this form of livestock farming in the Netherlands?
IdW: "The current form of agriculture was initiated after the war by Sicco Mansholt, who aimed to provide sufficient and affordable food for the Netherlands. This resulted in a focus on quantity and efficiency. With the knowledge and insights we now have, we realize that this approach has brought us much, but that we have not paid sufficient attention to the negative consequences. That is why you now see that a transition to sustainable agro-food systems is underway. This is a difficult process,
because sustainability is a catch-all term that covers many different aspects. These are interrelated and influence each other. Let me give a concrete example: If you want to prevent emissions in a dairy barn by removing manure and urine from the barn quickly and cleanly, you can do that with a slide over a smooth coated floor. But if the cows start slipping because the floor is so slippery, then you have solved one problem but created a new one in its place. Which aspects of sustainability you consider important is value-driven: what I consider important, someone else may not. As a result, everyone makes different choices. On top of that, the geographical context determines whether something will work: on the sandy soils in the southeast of the Netherlands you can do different things than on the clay in Zeeland or the peat meadow areas in the west of the Netherlands. One farm is adjacent to a nature reserve, another is not. Moreover, one farmer is not the other: some farmers want to farm organically, others natureinclusive, and still others prefer a more traditional farm. Finally, the area-based approach that the government is advocating will also affect what can and cannot be done. Based on this development, I expect more variation to emerge. Traditional farms will remain and focus on technical sustainability, although there will probably be fewer of them, and other forms of livestock farming will also emerge. It is expected, however, that the increase in scale will continue. The current bottlenecks in agriculture are caused not so much by the size of farms, but much more by the fact that we have a lot of livestock in the Netherlands. Our country is one of the countries with the highest livestock density in the world. You can look at large farms to see if everything has to be in one location, or if you spread it out over several locations."
WHAT EXACTLY IS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE? Rutte 4 is going to commit to sustainable agriculture. What does this mean in practice?
IdW: "The quality of the soil, the quality of the water, the restoration of biodiversity and the climate must all be managed at the same time. Nitrogen and greenhouse gases play an important role here, but also think of medicine and pesticide use. The coalition agreement also mentions animal husbandry. In its Opinion, the Council on Animal Affairs argues that this aspect should be fully considered. This confronts us with some difficult questions! Manure is necessary to allow plants to grow and to improve the quality of the soil, but fertilizing also means undesirable emissions into the air. We all like to see cows in pastures. It does give less ammonia emissions and also slightly less methane, but on sandy soils the risk of nitrate leaching actually increases again because of the cows' urine spots. Farmers must constantly be aware of the consequences of their choices. The tricky thing here is that what is good on the farm is not necessarily good at the local, provincial or national level and vice versa. If a farmer takes many measures to give substance to all these core concepts, it may still be the case that standards are exceeded at another level; for example, because there are too many farmers close to a nature reserve.
That is why the coalition agreement states that an area-specific approach is needed: customization is required to achieve this. The provinces will be given more responsibility. But customization is also necessary within provinces: the clay soil in the west of North Brabant is very different in composition from the sandy soil in the east of the province. Moreover, one farmer is not like another: some look primarily for technical solutions, while others opt for a different approach. That is why we talk about target regulations instead of means regulations: how you do it - the means - is not so important, but that you achieve the goals is what counts. This could be done by means of an accountable substance balance, but research has shown that there are also problems with that. One example is enforcement. Enforcement is not easily possible because you cannot unequivocally demonstrate whether work is being done within standards. Moreover, enforcement is very labor-intensive and costly. Another example is that it clashes with European obligations. It is therefore a major challenge to flesh out the policy described in the Rutte government's coalition agreement4. At the same time, it is good to see that the government is aware that we cannot look at and solve problems in isolation, but must do so in conjunction - integrally."
IS CIRCULAR FARMING THE NEW MAGIC WORD? Rutte 4 is committed to circular agriculture, which to an outsider sounds like going back in time. Is this circular agriculture economically sound or is it wishful thinking?
IdW: "In fact, circular agriculture is a collective term for many activities that focus on values that we consider important, such as biodiversity, a valueadded landscape and reduced losses of minerals to the environment. So with circular agriculture we are not going back in time. Nostalgic images like the farmer plowing the land with horses or oxen are not going to be seen on a large scale again. The modern farmer uses modern techniques and will continue to do so in closed-loop farming. But a fair business model is important if recycling agriculture is to be profitable. Some farmers, for example, rely on short chains. Floating Farm, in the middle of Rotterdam, is an example: the cows on this floating farm in the port of Rotterdam are fed grass from the vicinity of the city, among other things. The milk from those cows is then sold directly from the farm to the inhabitants of Rotterdam. In various places you see farmers combining different functions, for example in the form of so-called agroforestry. This involves combining arable farming, vegetable growing or livestock farming on the same plot of land with the planting of trees and woody plants. This requires an earnings model that is different from the traditional earnings model; it therefore calls for economic innovation combined with entrepreneurship. You also see, not only in the Netherlands but elsewhere in the world, smart collaborations between sectors, for example between pig farming and greenhouse horticulture. There are still many challenges involved in fully closing the cycles. Closed-loop farming is also about closing mineral cycles and preventing the leakage of important
nutrients such as N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), K (potassium) and 18 other minerals. When substances leak, you have to replenish them, and often they come from non-renewable sources. So, because we don't want to deplete natural resources, you have to prevent these substances from leaking. A major source of leakage is manure. This is not just manure from livestock farms, but also manure from people. This disappears into the sewers, but actually the growth substances from human manure should also be returned to the land. The Netherlands will have to regulate this properly, because human manure is also a source of medicine residues and germs. In the use of manure, the environment and public health are therefore just as important as the environment."
Farmers are almost expected to perform an ecological miracle, it seems.
IdW: "In any case, it is complex. For example, we do not yet have an answer to the question at what level you can close the cycle. There is no such thing as a closed loop at the farm, because products leave the farm and, therefore, by definition, there is no closed system. Closing cycles in a densely populated country like the Netherlands is also not feasible at the local or provincial level. But at what level can it be done? And should the cycle be limited to a specific sector or can you make interesting combinations with other sectors, with sectors outside agriculture and horticulture, that allow you to create much more value? What does closing cycles mean for our food security? And what does feeding residual products from the biobased economy mean for the animals we feed them? In short, circular agriculture is not wishful thinking, but a direction with interesting perspectives. Much of it still needs to be fleshed out, so there is still a lot to think about."
WILL THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR HAVE TO GIVE UP LAND? Rutte 4 speaks of a differentiated approach to agriculture and horticulture. Does this mean that a reclassification of the Netherlands is coming, with the agricultural sector having to give up space?
IdW: "It is good for the Netherlands to consider whether we are doing everything in a logical place or whether some activities would be better performed elsewhere. I don't think it's logical to keep cows on land that is suitable for arable farming, for example. It would be better to have those cows grazing on land where grass grows fine but there is little else we can do with it. This is not entirely black and white, because livestock farming in an arable area can also ensure the efficient use of manure and the utilization of vegetable residual flows. This area-based approach will certainly lead to a reclassification. Provinces play a central role in this. Good coordination between provinces is important: what is not appropriate in Limburg may well be appropriate in North Holland. Whether the agricultural sector will have to give up a lot of space on balance is questionable. We are mainly talking about land-based agriculture and horticulture, such as arable farming, fruit growing, bulb cultivation and dairy farming. It is realistic to assume that the livestock sector will shrink. D66 previously floated a trial balloon by stating that the livestock population must shrink significantly by 2030 and that in the Netherlands we must move towards halving the current livestock population. But as long as we, as consumers, continue to eat as many animal products as we do now, and there is hardly any decline, animal production will therefore shift to other areas of the world, where in many cases production is less sustainable."
In doing so, the Netherlands would simply be giving up part of its agricultural sector, without getting anything in return. Or is it more nuanced?
IdW: "If you want to get to a sustainable agrifood system, then you also have to look at changing modern consumption. Then you are talking about the protein transition. Less animal protein and more vegetable protein means that more space is needed for open cultivation such as arable farming and fruit growing. This means that more land is needed for this purpose. Also, the pursuit of extensive systems means that more space is needed. For extensive cultivation one has to think, for example, of more crop rotation and the cultivation of plants that bind nitrogen. What is often forgotten is that we have to fertilize plants. More vegetable proteins also means that more fertilizer is needed. This can be artificial fertilizer, but the production of artificial fertilizer consumes a lot of fossil energy and thus contributes to the depletion of non-renewable natural resources. It can also be manure from animals, but then you need enough animals to produce enough manure. And you have to leave those animals somewhere: that means you need enough land. Or you have to consider using people's manure. Because right now we are throwing away a lot of valuable nutrients through the sewers. Another issue here is that some of our soils are not suitable for things other than grass. For example, the soil is too wet to grow arable crops, as is the case in stream valleys. If you start using peat soil for arable farming, it will sink even faster than it already is. There is little else you can do on such soil except let grass grow and let cows graze on it. Moreover, the European "Farm to Fork" strategy will ask for more space for agriculture and horticulture, because this vision states that 25% of the European agricultural area must be organic by 2030. It remains to be seen, therefore, whether the agricultural sector will, on balance, have to give up much space as a result of the envisaged differentiated approach; possibly even more land will be needed. It will be more a matter of shifting what you do where rather than a substantial shrinkage in space."
WHY A TRANSITION FUND? Rutte 4 also speaks of a generous transition fund of 25 billion euros until 2035: that doesn't sound very positive for modern agriculture and horticulture, does it?
IIdW: "I don't think a generous transition fund of 25 billion until 2035 necessarily sounds negative for modern agriculture and horticulture. You can see it as a disqualification of our current agrifood system, but I prefer to see it as an opportunity. The Dutch focus on quantity and efficiency simply has a downside. We do not produce our food within the carrying capacity of the earth. We must, therefore, produce more sustainably and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. In addition to sufficient healthy and affordable food, these include climate, biodiversity, life on land and in water, health and welfare. The UN goals are reflected in the ambitions set out in the Rutte government's 4 coalition agreement. But I point out that it is also about inclusion, a fair income, no poverty in the world. The Transition Fund offers the opportunity to accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system by innovating technologically, socially and economically. It will allow us to do more research on what the issues are that we have to solve.
In doing so, we will look not only at the farm, but at our entire food system, the revenue models and responsibilities within the chain. It is not a question of choosing between nature or water or food production: it is a question of what you can do best where and how you can achieve a situation with nature and water and food production and a liveable countryside. Achieving a sustainable agrifood system is a joint responsibility. You cannot place that responsibility with one party. That's why it's great to see that a company like Nestlé is now taking the sustainability of its dairy, coffee and cocoa production seriously and investing several billion euros in this over the next few years. If we think about how to redesign our food system, we can also anticipate what is coming our way. Think of heat stress for plants and animals due to higher temperatures and the introduction of new plant and animal diseases and zoonoses. Think of extreme precipitation or extremely dry periods and what that means for arable farming, fruit growing and flower bulb cultivation, or salinization for the species and varieties we grow. Depending on how it is implemented, the transition fund offers many possibilities. It will be different if the transit fund is used to a large extent to buy out polluting companies, if there is pressure to stop. That will create a lot of resistance and puts us in front of other questions."
MORE AND MORE RULES FOR FARMERS? Livestock farmers have to register their feed, use organic manure and do land-based livestock farming. Isn't this limiting entrepreneurship and what is the climate contribution?
IdW: "By land-based livestock farming we generally mean dairy farming; the feed for the cows comes from the farmer's land. Pig farming, poultry farming and veal calf farming are not land-bound. The feed does not come directly from the land, but from mixed feed companies that process mostly residual flows and co-products from human nutrition. Pig farming, poultry farming and veal calf farming are referred to as intensive livestock farming. In all cases there may be large barns, but there may also be farms that are medium-sized or even small. The size of the farm and the barn say nothing about the way the farmer treats his land or his livestock. Even a large farm can be extensive. The term "mega-stables" has a negative connotation, but it is not necessarily bad. A large farmer, for example, often has more opportunities to invest in equipment to prevent odor nuisance for the environment, to improve fire safety and can also do more to prevent the introduction of animal diseases. When it comes to climate, the largest contribution comes from dairy farming and to a lesser extent from sheep and goat farming. This is because cows, sheep and goats produce methane during the digestive process in the gastrointestinal tract. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, as much as 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Although methane breaks down in the atmosphere much faster than carbon dioxide, it can cause much more damage during the time it is in the air. At the moment, Wageningen University & Research, together with feed suppliers, barn builders, dairy companies and farmers, is doing a lot of research on how to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. For example, it is being investigated whether other feeds or feed additives can reduce methane formation. The registration of feed, the use of organic manure and land-based livestock farming are mainly intended to reduce nitrogen emissions and close cycles. A tool for farmers is the Kringloop Wijzer. All dairy farmers are required to fill in this tool. This gives them insight into the amount of nitrogen and phosphate that cows excrete, how well minerals are utilized and how much ammonia they emit. This Recycling Wizard was developed in the project "Cows and Opportunities," where many new developments are being tested. In study groups of farmers they compare their scores from the Kringloop Wijzer. In this way they can learn from one another."
Is such a self-correcting sector approach sufficient?
IdW: "At the moment, solutions to greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions are mainly sought in the technical corner. I doubt that this is enough if we look at the challenges that lie ahead. I see the healthy and sustainable feeding of a future world population of 10 billion people in 2050 as one of the biggest social issues. To be able to produce within the carrying capacity of the earth, there must be no negative effects on the climate, biodiversity, health and welfare of people and animals and on finite natural resources. In addition, the equal and inclusive development of people worldwide must be guaranteed. This calls for a substantial transition of the current food systems, bringing together technological, economic, ecological, social and societal approaches. Transitioning to sustainable food systems on a global scale is complex because sustainability is a catch-all term: it consists of many different aspects. Those aspects - cultural, political, economic, ecological and social in nature - influence each other, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. Solutions that work in one context do not necessarily work in another. So there are no "one size fits all" solutions. Moreover, what is sustainable on the farm is not necessarily sustainable on a national or international level. In addition, it is not a static but a dynamic problem that changes over time and solutions are value driven. All these factors that we have to take into account can quickly cause us to get bogged down. At the same time, we feel the urgency to take steps quickly. We are therefore dealing with a complex and challenging social issue that demands integrated solutions. That requires direction, dialogue and the taking of responsibility by all stakeholders."
IS PRESSURE ON FARMERS REALLY NECESSARY? I assume that modern farmers themselves are already working on reducing nitrogen emissions and on a more animal-friendly policy in the stable and in the pasture.” Should livestock farming in the Netherlands be put under such pressure?
IDW: "Many farmers are indeed already working to make their farms more sustainable. They are doing this, for example, by means of circular agriculture, installing air scrubbers, adapting the stall and the ration and injecting manure instead of using surface fertilization. What makes it difficult for the farmer is that it is a complex set of aspects that he has to pay attention to. Measures that reduce nitrogen emissions from dairy cattle do not necessarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Free-range
poultry is not without danger: the danger of bird flu is just around the corner. On the contrary, particulate matter emissions have increased with free-range farming. And if you invest in expensive equipment, such as air scrubbers in a pig house, it may turn out that they do not achieve the efficiency levels specified by the manufacturer and you will still exceed the limit values. Many measures taken by farmers are aimed at optimizing the current situation. Farmers are often hesitant because the policy is not unambiguous; they want to invest, but are bound by a bank that must cooperate. And it is not without risk: there is a chance that you are doing the right thing now, but later it turns out that things need to be done differently. The nitrogen crisis makes it clear how complicated it is. The courts have ruled that the rules for nitrogen are inadequate, they have cracked down on national nitrogen policy, they have annulled nitrogen decisions and they have declared the provinces' nitrogen policies illegal. Of course, as a farmer you must not seek out or cross the boundaries, but doing it right becomes very difficult if the rules of the game are not clear. Putting the farmer under pressure does not help. What does help is to have a vision, to set goals, to facilitate farmers and to encourage them to take action.
Organize a dialogue, define the problem together and look together for possible solutions that can count on the support of the various stakeholders. The outcome could be that the number of livestock must be reduced, for example, but that would then be part of the solution and not an end in itself. If you really want to make progress and not just optimize the current situation technically, you will have to innovate. You will have to develop new agro-food systems. A number of farmers are already working on this, but scaling up is necessary to achieve the sustainability goals. Moreover, developing a new system is not an easy task. Many farmers have made substantial investments in their business and must first write off these costs before they can invest in something new. This is often a matter of decades. Moreover, you cannot place all the responsibility on the farmer. If we want to produce our food sustainably, then that is a shared responsibility of the entire chain: the farmer, the processor, the supermarket and the consumer and all other parties directly or indirectly involved in our food production. That calls for chain innovation. But it also calls for a broader view of our diet. Agriculture in the Netherlands contributes to about 10% to the greenhouse effect. Two thirds of this is due to methane (CH4), which is mainly of animal origin, and the remaining one third is due to nitrous oxide (N2O), which comes mainly from the land where plants grow that has been fertilized. Thus, an entirely plant-based diet does not mean that no greenhouse gases are released in the production of our food. In addition, a vegan diet means that the nutrient deficiencies in the absence of animal manure must be supplemented with fertilizer.
The production of artificial fertilizer consumes a lot of fossil energy. Also, a fully plant-based food system requires more land, because animals now produce food for humans from residual streams and co-products or use grass from marginal lands. In other words, making our food system more sustainable is complex and requires multiple system choices. A dialogue with all stakeholders is the best way forward rather than exerting great pressure. It is better to search together for possible solutions, without losing sight of the fact that the Netherlands is not an island. The choices we make here have a broader scope than just the Netherlands." ♦
Tanja Dik: "There is only one way forward and that is together with Ajax!"
After 25 years, the Johan Cruijff ArenA has a new CEO. Tanja Dik (19920911) comes in with a huge baggage of relevant experience, gained at Stage Entertainment and Schiphol Airport. Just when Ajax stock exchange fund is shocked by the departure of Marc Overmars, she engages in talks about a better relationship between the stadium and the soccer club. A gifted networker who manages the ArenA in the social context of the city of Amsterdam, but also a powerful business leader who is on top of the numbers. She is assisted by senior event manager Marielle Hollander (19880084) who leads events that require a great sense of responsibility.
BY OELE STEENKS - PHOTOGRAPHY JC ARENA, ELISABETH VAN DEN AREND SCHMIDT (19980003)
Tanja, fairly recently you took a sabbatical year.
Can you explain that step?
TD: "I enjoy working and have always been wrong in a pleasant working environment. I have never consciously thought about taking a sabbatical. But sometimes you find yourself in a situation where things coincide. Because of Corona, we were also undergoing a much-needed reorganization at Schiphol, whereby the management had put its jobs on the table and we were to reapply for a position in the organization or else look outside the company for another job. The fact that I was able to take a sabbatical with a severance pay that was financially independent was a wonderful opportunity, especially considering my father's health. My father (Ir. Wim Dik, former CEO of KPN, D66 State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau, ed.) turned out to have a serious form of Alzheimer's disease. For me, a balance between my private life and work has always been essential and I never felt I missed out on important things with my four children, but now I had the opportunity to be at home even more and to take on the task of caring for my father one day a week. In addition, I walked the dog with family members from far and near throughout the Netherlands. I also advised several companies, without having to have money for it, so that I remained independent in my choice of my next job. Besides, I had the confidence that a new job would come along. Then you also dare to take that step more easily."
You were MD Consumer Products & Services at Schiphol Airport for five years. It wasn't that you didn't like it at the airport?
TD: "The job at Schiphol was a perfect fit. The environment brought me a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but during the sabbatical year I came to the conclusion that in my next job I was looking for a more entrepreneurial environment. For me, things like being close to the customer and making sure that together you make the world a little bit better, and thus making the customer's world a little bit better, count. Operating close to the customer has been what motivates me for years. Whether you do this with theaters, with an airport or a stadium, the starting point is similar."
With what assignment from the Supervisory Board did you enter the Johan Cruijff ArenA?
TD: "I did not receive a specific assignment from the Supervisory Board of Stadion Amsterdam NV. They were looking for a person who could take the ArenA to the next stage where both experience in the public-private domain and with the running business domain would be useful. Both being able to switch at the administrative level and wanting to be hands-on. It has been more of a search for what the RVC felt was needed to deal with the ongoing issues, for example, improving the rapport with Ajax. I was not told, Tanja, you have to take care of the stadium organization and achieve the following goals within a year. My predecessor, Henk Markerink, held the CEO's chair for 25 years, which naturally created a certain culture. People like working in the ArenA, which means we have a lot to cherish. At the same time, it's always good to reassess whether everything still fits the spirit of the times. My arrival means change, of course, because I'm a different person, I do things my own way. What matters is that people look at us differently nowadays and the world around us has changed. It is good to determine together what the Johan Cruijff ArenA stands for and how we translate this."
How is the relationship with the Supervisory Board?
TD: "I knew two people from the Supervisory Board: Diederik Karsten (COO Liberty Global, ed.), because I was on the Marketing Board of the Rijksmuseum with him, and Aat Schouwenaar (former top executive at Endemol, ed.) because he was also my supervisory director at Stage Entertainment, where I worked for 17 years. Recently, Mr. Fleur Mooren la Bastide was added, she is a former colleague at Stage Entertainment. So I have experience with three of the five commissioners. Hans van der Noordaa RA (CEO Deloitte Netherlands, ed.) is the chairman of the supervisory board. It helps if you already know each other, but I can switch just as well with Hans. The commissioners are usually present at Ajax matches, so I see them once every two weeks. They are definitely my sounding board. Given the regularity with which they experience the stadium business and their involvement in it, they quickly understand what's going on. The managerial responsibility of a supervisory board is somewhat different these days anyway, so it is more important for them to know what is going on. They are my bosses and we have good working arrangements, but the modern supervisory board member is also expected to talk to managers to find out what is going on behind the CEO. I am a great advocate of this transparency. It's also good that the commissioners are close to the fire, without of course taking over the work of the management. The ArenA and Ajax are constantly under a magnifying glass, so it's good that a commissioner can answer questions firsthand. In any case, I give them enough information to be able to fulfill their role. It helps that I am a commissioner myself at various companies, and know what is needed for a good cooperation. I certainly have that with Hans. When do we spar, when do we separate roles and responsibilities? Hans fills that in excellently as chairman of the supervisory board."
Tanja Dik
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ALUMNI DRS. ING. TANJA DIK AND DRS. MARIELLE HOLLANDER PROVIDE LEADERSHIP FOR THE JC ARENA Alumni Drs. Ing. Tanja Dik and Drs. Marielle Hollander provide leadership for the JC ArenA
The room to grow sales doesn't seem great?
TD: "Indeed, there is no possibility of doubling down or expanding big time but there are always new opportunities. For example, we can generate more turnover through the advisory and innovation process. Marielle has done great things in the past when developing stadiums in Ukraine and Brazil. Together with our business partners we have built up a lot of expertise with regard to stadium construction, and we also have a lot of knowledge and experience with sustainability, safety and fan experience. On these topics we do international challenges together with the KNVB, Ajax and UEFA, on which start-ups and scale-ups worldwide pitch. To this end, we have created a wonderful open eco-platform. Also on the social front - what does the stadium mean for the city of Amsterdam, Zuidoost and for the country - we are doing many projects, together with the municipality of Amsterdam, among others. However, this does not mean that we now suddenly have a new business branch, but one that can continue to grow. We have had peak years with a turnover in excess of 50 million, but in an average year the turnover is between 25 and 40 million euros. So we're not going to double down, except at the bottom of the line, because that's where we've had a problem the last two years."
How big is the ArenA family?
TD: "We have a wonderful team that fits in nicely with the diverse range of activities, so we are down to 60 people. In the years when we did a lot of international advisory projects, we had 80 to 90 people, including the people we hired internationally. We will increase the number of staff again if the operation or the business case advisory gives cause to do so. The headcount does not tell the complete story. At Schiphol, I experienced that it was Klein Nederland, now in my first months here, I experienced that the stadium is Klein Amsterdam. The ArenA's stakeholder base is large. You really have a directing organization here. We have a joint venture with Ajax, which includes all the stewards, we work with companies that are in security and we work with caterers. On an average match night, there are about 1,500 people under our span of control, not to mention the nearly 56,000 supporters we want to let enjoy the match in complete safety."
How does coordination take place with the municipality of Amsterdam, which owns 48% of the shares?
TD: "We have a shareholder relationship, which runs through the alderman for finance of the City of Amsterdam (until recently Mr. Victor Everhardt, D66, ed.). Of course we also have a link with many other departments of the municipality, for example we sit with one alderman for area development and another for mobility and tunnel safety. Furthermore, we do great innovations together. Amsterdam has an innovation team that works with our innovation lab. We have grown over the years into an execution force of the municipality. For example, we have helped with test situations in measuring aerosols that spread the coronavirus. In addition, security cameras have been tested with us. We are an organization that can act quickly and is used in grabbing short lead times."
In 2021 Ajax director Edwin van der Sar reported dissatisfaction with the cooperation with the JC ArenA. Among the issues at stake were a new loan from the stadium to ABN Amro, which made an earlier loan from Ajax to the stadium subordinate, various sponsor interests and the loss of hospitality revenue during Ajax's matches. The stock exchange fund holds 13 percent of the stadium's shares. At one point Van der Sar let slip that he wanted to take over the stadium completely. What are the current proportions?
TD: "I can be brief about that; I'm not going to make any substantive statements now, as we are in a mediation process. I can say that it sounds as if something really bad is going on, but actually things are going quite well. Parties start thinking for each other and filling in things, there is no normal consultation anymore and then you grow into a kind of symbiosis from which you can no longer escape. It is also very important for major shareholder City of Amsterdam and the STAK Stadion Amsterdam N.V. that the two parties can get along. They have proposed the mediation process to the supervisory board. If a new CEO then comes in who is not burdened with that baggage, you can once again ask the right questions and reset the relationship. The only way forward is the way together with Ajax. How we do it, we do it. It helps me that the problems between Schiphol and KLM are not that different from this situation. There it applied that you have so much more together, than as organizations separately. That's not much different here at the ArenA and Ajax. Ajax is a wonderful company with great clout in the field of commerce, media and sales. We, for our part, are very focused on hospitality and have an uncompromisingly high quality in the operational field. I have zero concerns about safety and the way visitors are served and treated. I can say that Edwin van der Sar is carried on his hands by Ajax regulars and season ticket holders. He sets himself up among the fans. In controlling the F Side he does sensible things."
To what extent did Marc Overmars' alleged transgressive behavior and his departure as technical director of Ajax, affect the staff of the ArenA?
TD: "We are the home of Ajax, so of course you are affected by it. For example, our employees work at the service desk, which is also the main entrance to the Ajax offices. Those have a direct working relationship with the people of Ajax. As an organization, we work with Ajax day and night, because the club is not only our shareholder, but also our business partner. On the other hand, we are not Ajax. However, by the outside world and in the press, we are often seen as a single company. Then you see drawings, pictures or texts, talking about border-crossing behavior in the ArenA. That affects our people, because they are proud of the stadium and our company. Incidentally, it is of importance that you can ensure a safe and pleasant working environment in the organization. People must dare to come forward when there is transgressive behavior or integrity issues. In addition, we have a fifty-fifty ratio when it comes to men to women in the organization. I am aware that people really want to work at the ArenA, so that could mean something of power for our employees. Furthermore, there are circumstances here where people work together intensively for long hours and go for a drink after work, then our colleagues should have clear agreements about what kind of conversations you can have with each other. Fortunately, I have not received any signals that anything is wrong at the ArenA."
It does take integrity and character to be able to deal with that position of power. You have the necessary experience of that as a senior event manager at the ArenA, don't you Marielle Hollander?
MH: "I've been with the ArenA for almost a quarter of a century, still in the same job title, but in varying roles and involved in different projects. Working here means that what you do is always big and high-profile. From the wedding party of Willem Alexander and Maxima, right after 9/11 with all the security issues, to Bonfire, the biggest terror exercise ever held in the Netherlands, to the funeral of Hazes, to the presentation of the Bollywood Oscars."
The public assumes that such events are normal and orderly. Has it become so normal?
MH: "Everything that happens in the city can also happen here and at an accelerated pace, because here everything takes place on a square kilometer. There is definitely pressure, but I have gotten used to that. When you are in the command room, you feel responsible for everyone who is in the stadium and for all the processes that take place there."
Has technological development made the stadium safer?
MH: "Absolutely. It starts with the fact that the stands are compartmentalized. We also have cameras hanging everywhere, which allows us to quickly switch to offender detection. We can see and follow everything, and call people to account. What's more, we know in advance who is sitting in the seat in question at matches. We still sometimes see people hiding under banners or changing clothes three times when we are looking for them. But we quickly catch on to them."
Can you control drug use among ArenA visitors?
MH: "Good question. Sensation is a dance event that was developed here in part by the stadium. At first the local authorities started to exert enormous pressure, saying that a dance event like this in a stadium is unacceptable because of the massiveness and the associated drug use. In consultation, we arrived at criteria under which it was possible. We operate on the basis of zero tolerance. We now know all the places in the stadium where drugs could possibly be deposited. And the security cameras allow us to zoom in on people with millimeter precision from the command room. A security plan is drawn up for each event and agreements are made with the local services - police, fire department, GHOR and municipality - and all the chain partners. For example, we have a completely different search method for a dance event than for a Ajax match. Around an event, we keep an eye on the news on social media and sometimes drug dogs are deployed."
How did you survive the pandemic?
MH: "That was, of course, very jarring and halting. Initially, we focused in the organization on all the jobs that had been left on the desks. Documents such as a company emergency plan and an evacuation plan, we scrutinized and updated. We did this in a fairly coordinated way from home. And we did fun things in groups to keep the ArenA in the picture. For example, we opened a restaurant along the line when the terraces were allowed to open again. Together we pulled the clumps of grass from between the artificial turf and cleaned the stands, which had become covered in a thick layer of dust. That's how we kept up the spirit. But it was the first two years that we suffered losses. That was terrible. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to a number of colleagues."
Through August 13, 2022, the anniversary year runs. What else can you do to make those 25 years festive?
MH: "In terms of programming, we had the most special, most beautiful programming ever. It has completely fallen apart. It feels doubly important to me to be celebrating the anniversary now, while we are entering our third year of losses. We are working on a modest way to pay attention to it with our relations, certificate holders and the Zuidoost district council."
How do you experience working with Tanja?
MH: "She does feel to me like a breath of fresh air in the company, taking a different business approach to things. Very human, structural and futureoriented! She combines a conceptual approach with an eye for the numbers. I am more of the people, the experience and the right feeling. I want to translate and implement everything into practice as quickly as possible. That makes us a good complement to each other. I am also the chairman of the Works Council, so in that role I can also complement Tanja."
Back to you Tanja, how do you experience working with Marielle?
TD: "I almost heard her justify the fact that she has been with the ArenA for almost 25 years, admittedly in changing roles. What working here evidently brings is that Marielle can still step in with full energy. Of course this is also down to the person herself. Her knowledge and experience is extremely valuable. We can switch quickly and our working hours are reasonably synchronized. We can chat with each other until late at night. Our characters are also fairly close to each other."
You both attended Nyenrode; what is the common denominator?
MH: "That is the common set of values and standards that you have received. We didn't go there at the same time, but through our debates we have mutual friends. That common denominator gives a safe and secure feeling." TD:" In the first place, we went through the same process at Nyenrode, in which you learn to reflect on yourself and experience who you are, what you do and how you function with each other. You share with each other the drive for entrepreneurship. You always want to go to extremes for results. That is something that is instilled in you at Nyenrode. You need strong leadership here, because you are responsible for 56,000 people sitting in the stands at an Ajax match. But at the same time, we have been given a sense of social responsibility as a pillar of the study at Nyenrode. The stadium plays an important role in the culture of Amsterdam Zuidoost. We quickly switch from our business to our contribution to the city culture."
Marielle Hollander Tanja Dik
What events can we expect to see in the ArenA this summer?
MH: "At the moment there is a green light for new events. We have noticed that major artists are still struggling with the aftermath of the corona crisis. The planning of European tours is going more slowly than usual because different precautions are still in place in different countries. The preparation time for some events has also become too short. For example, The Toppers is shifting to the fall. We are pre-selling and rescheduling events such as Sensation and Ed Sheeran in full production. He is giving two concerts, at which we are going to welcome 140,000 visitors. An artist like Ed Sheeran has bizarre requirements for ticket sales. The tickets must be issued in the artist's name, so they cannot be resold, and one person can order a maximum of four tickets. ID must be checked at the ArenA entrance and he also requires buyers to have their receipts with them. In such a situation, a lot depends on us on our understanding with ticketing partners. The ticketers keep an excellent record of who tickets have been sold to anyway. Under the AVG, we receive the provenance data that we need to be able to regulate the flow to the stadium with our partners NS and GVB. We can also have a visitor profile. I'm very much looking forward to the fact that we will be able to run two full games." ♦
