26 June 2026 | 5 min.
Karin Perdaems has been an independent farmer since 1996. In 2011, she and her partner Marc Knipscheer merged their farms under the name MKP Agro in Lelystad. ‘That’s what made our farm what it is now: a great circular business that places less of a burden on the environment. But, on that front, we’re always open to new ideas and are happy to consider what more we can do. That’s why we've been part of the emission reduction pathway run by ASR Dutch Farmland Fund (ASR DFLF) since 2025. It charts the greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen produced by our farm and nine others and aims to reduce them where possible. It’s a great initiative and we’re happy to do our bit to support it,’ says Karin.
Karin and Marc both come from farming families. ‘We were both raised on the farm and involved in our parents’ businesses from an early age. You could say it's in our blood. It was our shared history and passion for the farming life that brought us together. That's why I'm so pleased that our two children want to follow in our footsteps. So, our succession plan is already in place. It makes it even more important to pass on a healthy and successful farm. We’re working hard to achieve just that. Our farm is made up of various parts: we have an arable farm where we grow such things as garlic, we keep free range hens and run a farm shop, where we sell our own “Better Life” chicken products, as well as onions and garlic.’
An eye for soil health
Thinking and acting sustainably comes naturally to Karin and her partner. ‘It's something we've been doing since the very start. We’re very much a circular farm, literally and figuratively “closing the agricultural loop”. That involves making responsible choices. Always with an eye for a good, healthy soil thanks to the use of our own manure from our free range chickens. Without any antibiotics! We always prioritise the animals’ quality of life and aim to deliver a top quality end-product for consumers. We also keep a close eye on our energy consumption. Our chicken coop is even fitted with 3,000 solar panels. We also practise eco-ploughing, or no ploughing at all. This not only saves money, but also litres of diesel. In addition, we aim to sell as much produce locally as possible. That reduces transport and lowers emissions. These are just a few examples. But I should point out that sustainability also hits you in the pocket. That's inevitable, it wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Basically, it just costs money. That's why it’s great that a.s.r. makes budget available through its agricultural land fund.’
Reducing emissions
Karin: ‘Last summer, we received the a.s.r. RuralNational Real Estate newsletter by email, inviting people to sign up to the emission reduction pathway. Our basic aim is to farm with minimum possible emissions. That's what appealed to me about the pathway, as a means of gaining insight into how we can improve that. So I decided to apply. After that, a.s.r. got in touch with me. A plan was then drawn up together with a.s.r. and the Nutrients Management Institute (NMI) in Wageningen. The NMI has developed a method called INITIATOR that gives you annual information on what they call the agricultural land portfolio, together with the current and permissible emissions of greenhouse gases and nutrients into the environment. It covers such factors as the sequestration of CO2 from soils and the use of manure, including manure storage. Various measurements are being taken on our farm for this purpose. The results are not yet available. I expect to have much more insight by 2027 thanks to these measurements.’
‘I would advise other farmers to think carefully about what they want and whether they have room to invest in sustainability.’
Positive initiative
Karin continues: ‘In the meantime, our focus is on being as sustainable as we can. For example, we’re exploring the option of switching our tractors over to hydrogen in the longer term. That would save around 80,000 litres of diesel every year. Our use of manure could also be made slightly more sustainable. But I think that it's really positive that this a.s.r. initiative is highlighting the need for our sector to do something about CO2 emissions and also supporting it financially. Knowledge-sharing is another area where a.s.r. could play a role in helping us to work even more sustainably. A lot of knowledge is already being shared within the agriculture sector, but it will be useful if a.s.r. can also contribute to that by means of investments and leasing structures.’
A deliberate choice
Karin and her partner Marc are pleased with the 'sustainable' progress they have made. Especially with a view to the future. ‘That was also a deliberate choice on our part, because we actually want to work in this way. In any case, I think it's something that needs to come from the farmers themselves. It’s your farm, your future. I would definitely advise other farmers to consider their options for farming with reduced emissions. But a step like that has to be taken voluntarily and also needs to be something that you enjoy. Of course, positive incentives from ASR Dutch Farmland Fund can certainly help with that.’
