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.