The True Cost of Food and Farming: From Analysis to Action

Wed, Feb 25, 2026

For a long time, our agriculture has been a success story: high productivity, strong exports, and innovative farmers. But behind this success lies a steadily increasing bill. The study "Ground Value: Uncovering the Hidden Bill of Agriculture," conducted by Deloitte and commissioned by the Robin Food Coalition and the Food Transition Coalition, reveals that while Dutch agriculture adds €13.3 billion in economic value annually, it simultaneously generates €18.6 billion in societal costs. The net loss: over €5 billion per year. These are costs we are passing on to nature, public health, and future generations. This is not an opinion; it is a cold, hard calculation. Our food system costs society more than it delivers. We are depleting soils, polluting water, emitting excessive greenhouse gases, and causing irreparable damage to biodiversity. Meanwhile, farmers find themselves with their backs against the wall: facing low margins, rising costs, increasing regulations, and a lack of clear pathways forward.

Four Scenarios, One Choice

The Social Cost-Benefit Analysis (SCBA) compared four scenarios for the Dutch agri-food system leading up to 2050:

Business-as-Usual – Continuing on the current path, with rising costs for nature, climate, and health.
Limited Sustainability – Incremental improvements, but insufficient to reverse ecological and societal damage.
Regenerative and Organic Agriculture – A focus on soil health, biodiversity, and circularity, resulting in significantly lower societal costs.
Maximum System Transition – A radical new food system that remains entirely within ecological boundaries and maximizes societal benefits.

The results are clear: only an ambitious shift toward regenerative and organic agriculture makes the system economically, ecologically, and socially viable.

The Foundational Principle: New Values for a Healthy Food System

Figures alone change nothing. They provide urgency but not direction. That is why we are introducing the Foundational Principle (Het Grondbeginsel): a moral and structural compass for the future of our agriculture.

The Foundational Principle defines what we stand for:

Healthy Soils: Ending depletion and contamination in favor of restoration and fertility.
Clean Water: Water that is drinkable, swimmable, and free from pollution.
Fair Incomes for Farmers: Ensuring a dignified existence, autonomy, and appreciation for their work.
Balance with Nature: Agriculture and biodiversity working alongside each other, not against each other.
Intergenerational Responsibility: No longer passing the bill to future generations.

The Foundational Principle is intended as a collective promise, reaffirmed annually by farmers, supply chain partners, policymakers, and citizens. It is not a suggestion, but a guiding and verifiable standard.

From Analysis to Actionable Pathways

Together, the SCBA report and the Foundational Principle form the basis for the next phase: moving from words to deeds.

Policy and Legislation: Providing a moral foundation for sustainable and future-proof policy.
Supply Chain Agreements: Creating new contracts and business models that offer farmers certainty and reward sustainability.
Financing: Establishing investment agendas for farmers and supply chains seeking to transition.
Transparency: Implementing clear monitoring of costs, benefits, and progress to ensure choices are measurable and accountable.

Coalition of the Willing: Building Change Together

We have begun forming a Coalition of the Willing: a broad group of companies, NGOs, government bodies, and financiers who share this sense of urgency and are working together on concrete action. This coalition will translate scenarios and principles into:

Practical Pilots demonstrating new business models and supply chain agreements.
Policy Proposals for fair pricing, environmental impact taxation, and transition support.
Communication Campaigns that highlight both the societal urgency and the pathways for action.

The Outcome

By combining hard data with clear principles, we are building:

A widely supported roadmap for a healthy agricultural and food system.
Reduced societal costs for nature, climate, and health.
New revenue models for farmers and supply chain partners.
A solid foundation for future-proof policy and regulation.

The result is an agricultural system that is healthy for farmers, citizens, nature, and future generations.