Nooit meer honger en natuurinclusief: Productiviteitsgroei en duurzaamheid in de Friese zuivelsector, 1945-2020

The Frisian dairy sector changed radically after 1945. Small dairy farms and dairy factories became large-scale businesses. Manual work was widely mechanized. Productivity increased enormously, while the number of farmers and workers decreased. At the same time, the increase in productivity had a negative impact on the natural environment. Initially, environmental pollution increased, the landscape became less diverse, and biodiversity in the agricultural area decreased. These downsides are now in the public eye, as evidenced by farmers' protests and discussions about climate change. At the same time, there is a loud call for circular and nature-inclusive food production. Regional actors are playing an increasingly important role in realizing this transition. However, it is unclear what role regional actors played during the radical innovation processes in the post-war period. This dissertation analyzes the role of regional organizations in transitions in the Frisian dairy sector. It appears that regional organizations fulfilled the function of intermediary because they translated developments at the national and international level to the regional level. This concerned, for example, strategy formation, the coordination of innovation processes, and knowledge development and dissemination. The historical research provides three insights. First, that regional organizations often acted as intermediaries together with organizations at the national level. Secondly, regional organizations with a central position in a knowledge network were best placed to fulfill intermediary functions. Thirdly, (semi) governments played an important role in stimulating innovation processes. They did this, among other things, by means of legislation and regulation, but also by supporting initiatives of regional organisations.