List of Ministers of Agriculture of the Netherlands

Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
Flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Incumbent Carola Schouten since 26 October 2017; 3 years ago (2017-10-26)
Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
Style	His/Her Excellency
Member of	Council of Ministers
Appointer	Mark Rutte as Prime Minister
First holder	Alexander Gogel as Minister of the Interior 19 June 1801; 220 years ago (1801-06-19) as Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry 1 July 1906; 115 years ago (1906-07-01)
Salary	€157,287 (As of 2017) (including €4,193 of expenses)
Website	Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

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The Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (Dutch: Minister van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit) is the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and a member of the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. The current Minister is Carola Schouten of the Christian Union (CU) who has been in office since 26 October 2017 and who serves as Third Deputy Prime Minister. Occasionally a State Secretary is assigned to the Ministry who is tasked with specific portfolios, currently the position of State Secretary not in use.^[1]

Several prominent people who served as Minister of Agriculture are: Laurentius Nicolaas Deckers (Catholic Leader and co-founder of the Catholic People's Party), Sicco Mansholt (European Commissioner and a Founding Father of the European Union), Anne Vondeling (Labour Leader), Pierre Lardinois (European Commissioner), Gerrit Braks (longest serving Minister of Agriculture), Piet Bukman (2nd President of the European People's Party), Jan de Koning (prominent politician), Jozias van Aartsen (Liberal Leader), Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (Progressive-Liberal Leader), Maxime Verhagen (Christian Democratic Leader), Henk Kamp (prominent politician) and multiple (future) Prime Ministers: Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck, Dirk Jan de Geer, Hendrikus Colijn, Victor Marijnen and Barend Biesheuvel.

List of Ministers of Agriculture (1906–1940)[]

Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		(1845–1910)	1 July 1906 – 12 February 1908	Free-thinking Democratic League	Theo de Meester (De Meester) [2]
		Syb Talma (1864–1916)	12 February 1908 – 29 August 1913	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Theo Heemskerk (T. Heemskerk) [3]
		Willem Treub (also Minister of Finance 1914) (1858–1931)	29 August 1913 – 19 November 1914 [Appt]	Free-thinking Democratic League	Pieter Cort van der Linden (Cort van der Linden) [4]
		Folkert Posthuma (1874–1943)	19 November 1914 – 9 September 1918	Independent Liberal (Conservative Liberal)
		(1874–1942)	9 September 1918 – 13 September 1922 [Res]	Independent Christian Democrat (Protestant)	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I) [5]
		Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Prime Minister) (1873–1936)	13 September 1922 – 1 January 1923 [Ad interim]	Roman Catholic State Party
					Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II) [6]
Minister of the Interior and Agriculture			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	1 January 1923 – 4 August 1925	Roman Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II) [6]
		Jonkheer Dirk Jan de Geer (1870–1960)	4 August 1925 – 8 March 1926	Christian Historical Union	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn I) [7]
		Jan Kan (1873–1947)	8 March 1926 – 10 August 1929	Independent Liberal (Social Liberal)	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer I) [8]
		Jonkheer Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	10 August 1929 – 1 May 1932	Roman Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III) [9]
Minister of Economic Affairs and Labour			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Timotheus Verschuur (1886–1945)	1 May 1932 – 8 June 1933	Roman Catholic State Party	Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck (Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III) [9]
					Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II) [10]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Timotheus Verschuur (1886–1945)	8 June 1933 – 17 April 1934 [Res]	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn II) [10]
		Dr. Hendrikus Colijn (Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	17 April 1934 – 25 June 1934 [Ad interim]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Max Steenberghe (1899–1972)	25 June 1934 – 6 June 1935 [Res]	Roman Catholic State Party
		Dr. (1895–1982)	6 June 1935 – 2 September 1935	Roman Catholic State Party
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Laurentius Nicolaas Deckers (1883–1978)	2 September 1935 – 24 June 1937	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn III) [11]
		Max Steenberghe (also Minister of Economic Affairs) (1899–1972)	24 June 1937– 25 July 1939	Roman Catholic State Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn IV) [12]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Hendrikus Colijn (Prime Minister) (1869–1944)	25 July 1939 – 10 August 1939	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Hendrikus Colijn (Colijn V) [13]
		Max Steenberghe (1899–1972)	10 August 1939 – 10 May 1940	Roman Catholic State Party	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) [14]

List of Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries (since 1940)[]

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Aat van Rhijn (1892–1986)	10 May 1940 – 1 May 1941 [App]	Christian Historical Union	Dirk Jan de Geer (De Geer II) [14]
					Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy I) [15]
		Max Steenberghe (1899–1972)	1 May 1941 – 17 November 1941 [Res]	Roman Catholic State Party
					Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy II) [15]
		Dr. Jan van den Tempel (1877–1955)	17 November 1941 – 8 January 1942 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	Social Democratic Workers' Party
		Piet Kerstens (1896–1958)	8 January 1942 – 31 May 1944 [Minister] [Dis]	Roman Catholic State Party
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Johannes van den Broek (1882–1946)	31 May 1944 – 23 February 1945 [Minister]	Independent Classical Liberal	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy II) [15]
		Hans Gispen (1905–1968)	23 February 1945 – 25 June 1945	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (Gerbrandy III) [16]
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Supplies			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Sicco Mansholt (1908–1995)	25 June 1945 – 1 January 1958 [App]	Social Democratic Workers' Party	Willem Schermerhorn (Schermerhorn– Drees) [17]
				Labour Party	Louis Beel (Beel I) [18]
					Willem Drees (Drees–Van Schaik • I • II) [19][20][21]
					Willem Drees (Drees III) [22]
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	1 January 1958 – 13 January 1958 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	Christian Historical Union
		Dr. Anne Vondeling (1916–1979)	13 January 1958 – 22 December 1958	Labour Party
		Kees Staf (1905–1973)	22 December 1958 – 19 May 1959 [Minister]	Christian Historical Union	Louis Beel (Beel II) [23]
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Victor Marijnen (1917–1975)	19 May 1959 – 24 July 1963	Catholic People's Party	Jan de Quay (De Quay) [24]
		Barend Biesheuvel (1920–2001) [Deputy]	24 July 1963 – 5 April 1967 [Minister]	Anti-Revolutionary Party	Victor Marijnen (Marijnen) [25]
					Jo Cals (Cals) [26]
					Jelle Zijlstra (Zijlstra) [27]
		Pierre Lardinois (1924–1987)	5 April 1967 – 1 January 1973 [App]	Catholic People's Party	Piet de Jong (De Jong) [28]
					Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel I) [29]
					Barend Biesheuvel (Biesheuvel II) [29]
		Jaap Boersma (1929–2012)	1 January 1973 – 11 May 1973 [Ad Interim] [Minister]	Anti-Revolutionary Party
		Tiemen Brouwer (1916–1977)	11 May 1973 – 1 November 1973 [Res]	Catholic People's Party	Joop den Uyl (Den Uyl) [30]
		Fons van der Stee (1928–1999)	1 November 1973 – 5 March 1980 [App]	Catholic People's Party
					Dries van Agt (Van Agt I) [31]
		Gerrit Braks (1933–2017)	5 March 1980 – 11 September 1981	Catholic People's Party
				Christian Democratic Appeal
		Jan de Koning (1926–1994)	11 September 1981 – 4 November 1982 [Minister]	Christian Democratic Appeal	Dries van Agt (Van Agt II • III) [32][33]
		Gerrit Braks (1933–2017)	4 November 1982 – 7 November 1989	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I • II) [34][35]
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Gerrit Braks (1933–2017)	7 November 1989 – 18 September 1990 [Res]	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) [36]
		Dr. Bert de Vries (born 1938)	18 September 1990 – 28 September 1990 [Ad interim] [Minister]	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Piet Bukman (born 1934)	28 September 1990 – 22 August 1994	Christian Democratic Appeal
		Jozias van Aartsen (born 1947)	22 August 1994 – 3 August 1998	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Wim Kok (Kok I) [37]
		Haijo Apotheker (born 1950)	3 August 1998 – 7 June 1999 [Res]	Democrats 66	Wim Kok (Kok II) [38]
		Klaas de Vries (born 1943)	7 June 1999 – 9 June 1999 [Ad interim] [Minister]	Labour Party
		Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 1937)	9 June 1999 – 22 July 2002	Democrats 66
		Dr. Cees Veerman (born 1949)	22 July 2002 – 1 July 2003	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I • II) [39][40]
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Cees Veerman (born 1949)	1 July 2003 – 22 February 2007	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende II • III) [40][41]
		Gerda Verburg (born 1957)	22 February 2007 – 14 October 2010	Christian Democratic Appeal	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende IV) [42]
Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Maxime Verhagen (born 1956) [Deputy]	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I) [43]
Minister of Economic Affairs			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Henk Kamp (born 1952)	5 November 2012 – 26 October 2017	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Mark Rutte (Rutte II) [44]
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality			Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Carola Schouten (born 1977) [Deputy]	26 October 2017 – Incumbent	Christian Union	Mark Rutte (Rutte III) [45]

^Resigned

^{Ad Interim}

^{Deputy Prime Minister}

^{Minister of Social Affairs}

^{Minister of Commerce, Industry and Shipping}

^{Minister of Finance}

^{Minister of Defence}

^{Minister for Kingdom Relations}

^{Minister of Social Affairs and Employment}

^{Appointed as President of the Court of Audit}

^{Appointed as European Commissioner}

^{Appointed as Minister of Finance}

Living former Ministers of Agriculture[]

List of State Secretaries for Agriculture[]

State Secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		(1927–1994)	• Food Policy • Environmental Policy • Nature • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare	8 November 1982 – 14 July 1986	People's Party for Freedom and Democracy	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers I) [34]
State Secretary for Agriculture, Nature and Fisheries			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dzsingisz Gabor (born 1940)	• Food Policy • Environmental Policy • Nature • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare • Recreation	28 September 1990 – 22 August 1994	Christian Democratic Appeal	Ruud Lubbers (Lubbers III) [36]
		Geke Faber (born 1952)	• Food Policy • Nature • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare	3 August 1998 – 22 July 2002	Labour Party	Wim Kok (Kok II) [38]
		Jan Odink (1944–2018)	• Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare	22 July 2002 – 27 May 2003	Pim Fortuyn List	Jan Peter Balkenende (Balkenende I) [39]
State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Henk Bleker (born 1953)	• Trade and Export • Agriculture • Food Policy • Fisheries • Forestry • Postal Service • Tourism • Animal Welfare [Title]	14 October 2010 – 5 November 2012	Christian Democratic Appeal	Mark Rutte (Rutte I) [43]
State Secretary for Economic Affairs			Portfolio(s)	Term of office	Party	Prime Minister (Cabinet)
		Dr. Co Verdaas (born 1966)	• Agriculture • Food Policy • Nature • Fisheries • Forestry • Animal Welfare • Tourism [Title]	5 November 2012 – 6 December 2012 [Res]	Labour Party	Mark Rutte (Rutte II) [44]
		Sharon Dijksma (born 1971)		18 December 2012 – 3 November 2015 [App]	Labour Party
		Martijn van Dam (born 1978)		3 November 2015 – 1 September 2017 [Res]	Labour Party

^Resigned

^{Designated with the diplomatic rank of Minister}

^{Appointed as State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment}

Living former State Secretaries for Agriculture[]

See also[]

• Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
• Flower bulb cultivation in the Netherlands
• Dutch farmers protests
• Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority

References[]