Symposium TAPP Coalition in Amsterdam 29th May

To celebrate its 5th anniversary, the TAPP Coalition organised a Lustrum Symposium on 29 May at the OBA Theatre in Amsterdam, at Oosterdokskade 143, near the C.S  It  included an EU Election debate with representatives from 4 political parties (Christian Democrats, Liberals, Greens and Left party). 

Last Wednesday TAPP Coalition had her Lustrum 5 year anniversary with a Symposium in Amsterdam, visited by 120 persons and 30 of our closest (Dutch) partners, see photo.  Now we have 73 partner organisations (we started with 24 in 2019...). We received loads of compliments for what we achieved in 5 years. On behalf of our Agriculture Minister, and the whole Ministry, full support was committed for our (fiscal) pricing proposals in the food transition in a speech of the highest Director General Agri, who promised to help get support from our new Agri-Minister and right wing government to be installed soon. A high director of Rabobank committed to a similar pricing approach.  We handed over a price to caterer Vermaat for implementing many pilot projects with true pricing in catering (higher prices for dairy, eggs etc). We presented a representative survey among almost 400 Dutch livestock farmers, showing 53% support for a high VAT rate on meat/dairy/eggs, if revenues would be used for animal welfare improvements (similar to the German plan for Tierwohl cent).

We organised an EU election debate with 4 representatives from Renew (D66), S&D/Greens (GroenLinks-PvdA), The European Left (PvdD) and EPP (CDA). This debate is recorded and subtitled in English, see video (please share on socials): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InynCEQu5Gs. The EPP candidate (nr 2 on list CDA) surprisingly supported an Ag-ETS downstream option, in combination of CBAM import taxes on meat/dairy while the Green candidate did not. We presented a new report with articles of 4 scientific institutes of political parties on their views on pricing and taxation of food & agriculture and rewarding farmers/consumers. This included a list of visions/proposals on this topics of all parties / EU programmes. 

More background information in Dutch: https://tappcoalitie.nl/nieuws

A few highlights (for the full programme see link in Dutch).

• Vision of Rabobank director Agri-Food Alex Datema on rewarding and pricing environmental emissions in livestock farming and key note Prof Jaap Seidell, nutrition and health VU.
• Albert Heijn's steps in protein transition and true pricing - with Anita Scholte op Reimer, Director of Sustainability.
• Note that this is in the week that Jumbo stops stunting and all offers on fresh meat.
• How did the TAPP Coalition manage in 5 years to get a levy on meat from a taboo topic to the political agenda?
• Prosu's representative survey of Dutch livestock farmers on rewards and pricing.
  In it, farmers will give their opinions and preferences for a series of solutions to the crisis in agriculture. The farmer constituency of TAPP Coalition also completed the survey in a separate online version.
• An EU election debate on the future of European agricultural and food policy and pricing, with four representatives of the CDA, PvdA/GL, D66, and PvdD.
  As far as they are concerned, will there also be an ETS system for slaughterhouses and dairies and extra money for farmers to reduce emissions, for example?
• A speech on behalf of Piet Adema by the Director-General Agro, Min LNV: Jan-Willem Beaujean. Key notes by, among others, Claire van den Broek, director True Price and Pauline Rosenberg of Vermaat
• New proposals and visions from Scientific Offices of GL/PvdA, VVD, ChristenUnie, PvdD and D66 on rewarding and pricing in the agriculture and food sector, included in a conference bundle.

• Language was Dutch. A recording  with English subtitled translation for the EU election debate can be found here.