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De Landgenoten

The aim of De Landgenoten is to safeguard land for long-term food production. It achieves this by purchasing agricultural land with money from shareholders, donors and occasional income. De Landgenoten subsequently leases the agricultural land to (organic) farmers, via career-long contracts.

Based on the finding that access to land constitutes one of the greatest obstacles for farmers just starting out or those wishing to expand, De Landgenoten foundation and cooperative purchases and leases agricultural land to organic farmers via career-long contracts. The lease contracts provide the farmer with long-term land use guarantees. The organic farmers are given the certainty of having access to land for the rest of their career when starting up, expanding or converting their business. By providing long-term land leases De Landgenoten also ensures the land intended for organic farming is preserved for several generations. This means that years of investment in organic soil processing and upgrading pays off. The cooperative’s business model ensures long-term protection and conservation of a healthy soil bursting with life.
Being the first Flemish organic land fund, De Landgenoten is able to innovate in terms of land mobilisation. It currently owns eight parcels of land, just a fraction of the intended target. The crowdfunding and subsidy-based financial organisation makes further upscaling fragile, especially with regard to competition on the land market. This is why De Landgenoten is also actively looking for farmers who are interested in taking over farms from retiring farmers. It means it can guarantee the land actively remains in use as agricultural land. It also manages land and provides advice to landowners on having their land farmed sustainably. What’s more, De Landgenoten focuses on increasing awareness and bringing together citizens who would like to manage land on a communal basis. Lastly, De Landgenoten provides legal-technical advice and knowledge to municipal administrations that want to set up a sustainable farming project on their territory.

partners and actors
Founders: BioForum Flanders, Union for a Better Environment, CSA Network, De Kollebloem, De Wassende Maan, FIAN Belgium, Hefboom, Land-in-zicht, Landwijzer, Nature Point, Oxfam Solidariteit, Terre de Liens, Terre-en-vue, Velt, Voedselteams, Wervel en Wid
theme
housing, care, biodiversity, food
innovative aspects
cultural change, solidarity, policy innovation, good citizenship, financing
scale
site, municipality


Services offered by De Landgenoten
articleServices offered by De Landgenoten
De Landgenoten offers opportunities and tools to connect farmers in search of land with landowners (such as retiring farmers, local authorities or groups of citizens).


Services offered by De Landgenoten


photo: De Landgenoten

Gift Geneviève
videoGift Geneviève
De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 


Gift Geneviève

De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 



photo: De Landgenoten, Ichtegem 2020

Het Vrije Veld
videoHet Vrije Veld
De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 


Het Vrije Veld

De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 



photo: De Landgenoten, Zutendaal 2021



Portraits: #1 Rony


photo: Mieke Debruyne, 2020

Tournée Aréale
videoTournée Aréale
De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 


Tournée Aréale

De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 



photo: De Landgenoten, De Haan 2021

De Landgenoten successfully complete first business takeover
articleDe Landgenoten successfully complete first business takeover
In addition to agricultural land, De Landgenoten also buys up organic farms that cannot find a suitable buyer. This ensures the organic farm’s continuity and lowers the threshold for farmers starting out or those wanting to expand.


De Landgenoten successfully complete first business takeover


photo: Vilt

Fruit farm De Kleinaart
videoFruit farm De Kleinaart
De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 


Fruit farm De Kleinaart

De Landgenoten links farmers who are looking for land with actors who have agricultural land available and increases their visibility. 



photo: De Landgenoten, Ulbeek 2021

The Landgenoten gives organic farmers (breathing) space: 
investment for the future
articleThe Landgenoten gives organic farmers (breathing) space: investment for the future
Paying off the huge investment required in agricultural land will ensure that young (organic) farmers will again have financial breathing space to implement their projects.


The Landgenoten gives organic farmers (breathing) space: 
investment for the future


photo: Stampmedia

Access to Land and Community Supported
 Agriculture: stories from Europe
articleAccess to Land and Community Supported Agriculture: stories from Europe
Access to land and land use for the agroecological farmer is a challenge that transcends our region, although agricultural land prices in Belgium are among the highest in Europe. Accestoland.eu is a practice platform where European bottom-up initiatives share experience on innovative cooperation models.


Access to Land and Community Supported
 Agriculture: stories from Europe


photo: Peter Volz (Agronauten, Regionalwert AG Freiburg) Rachel Harries (Soil Association) Véronique Rioufol (Terre de Liens) Brîndusa Bîrharla (Eco Ruralis) Jocelyn Parot (Urgenci) Morgane Iserte (Urgenci), 2017