A century of land consolidation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: trends, drivers and lessons for future challenges
In the Netherlands and elsewhere an upsurge in the attention for rural land development can be observed. Land development is considered a key instrument in the toolbox to address the challenges rural areas and agriculture face, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and vital agri-economic regions. However, the instrument has also received critique. What can be learned about the history of this instrument to render it more effective for the challenges rural areas face in the 21st century?
Aaldrik Tiktak
Since the introduction of the first Land Consolidation Act in 1924, the governance of rural land development has evolved significantly in the Netherlands. This concerns both the goals land development was to fulfil, and its institutional organization. In this article the main drivers behind these changers are sketched. Based on a historical institutional analysis of the Netherlands in combination with recent policy evaluations of the Dutch National Programme on Rural Areas four main lessons are drawn about this instrument:
- Because of inherently limited budgets and capacity, coordination and prioritization of projects is needed. An institutional system with criteria and decision rules for the selection and phasing of projects is therefore critical;
- Investments in administrative capacity have been slashed in the recent decade, yet are crucial to enable both implementation capacity and learning;
- The availability of complementary instruments is critical to safeguard land availability. Important instruments are systems for land banking, as well as new financial instruments for extensification of agricultural land use;
- Proper participatory processes are pivotal to strengthen the quality of projects as well as acceptability and support by landowners.
This article is part of special issue of the Land Tenure Journal, published by FAO, and features 12 articles. The first article offers an overview of the development of land consolidation in Europe, taking stock of the current situation and providing a future outlook. Further articles explore land consolidation instruments and experiences across different countries in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Authors
Specifications
- Publication title
- A century of land consolidation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands: trends, drivers and lessons for future challenges
- Publication date
- 26 September 2025
- Publication type
- Article
- Page count
- 22-37
- Publication language
- English
- Magazine
- Land Tenure Journal
- Issue
- 25(1)
- Product number
- 5970
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