Annechien ten Have-Mellema and the Hamletz idea
Annechien ten Have is recognized as a leader in sustainability and animal welfare by both the general public and professionals in the field. Through (social) media, consumers watch videos of mother pigs resting in large piles of straw, piglets cuddling in a "nanny," and Annechien's grandchildren feeding pigs treats. As a council member of the Council for Animal Affairs, ten Have significantly influences government agricultural policy.
Annechien ten Have-Mellema
In both the agricultural and political fields, ten Have is recognized as a pioneer in promoting animal welfare within livestock farming. She previously served on the board of LTO Nederland, an organization that represents the interests of the agricultural sector. Since 2015, she has been a member of the Council for Animal Affairs (RDA), which provides advice to the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality on policies related to animal welfare. This could involve topics such as how livestock farming can become more “animal-friendly,” establishing a “responsible euthanasia policy” for sick production animals, or examining “the effects on animal welfare during the transition to circular agriculture.” [34]
In 2019, ten Have was honored as Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2021, she was recognized as an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau. The advisory committee stated that ten Have earned this royal distinction for her efforts in "professionalizing the sector and advocating for pig farming in the Netherlands." [35]
Annechien is also well-known to the general public. She is recognized as the farmer behind the free-range meat packets at Albert Heijn and from the Beter Leven promotional videos for the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming). Last year, she featured in the documentary series "De boerenrepubliek" (The Farmers' Republic) (BNNVARA). [36] In the TV commercial for the farmers' interest group CARING FARMERS, she was highlighted as one of the pioneers of circular agriculture, where animal welfare is a key focus. [37]
From Comfort Class to Hamletz
Following societal criticism of conventional pig farming, Annechien ten Have began exploring new business models 20 years ago. She aims to use her commitment to animal welfare as a way to generate profit. In 2001, she started collaborating with the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming). This partnership led to the creation of the "Comfort Class" market concept in 2006, which was awarded one Beter Leven star. In 2011, the television program Ongehoord aired footage of ten Have's Comfort Class barn. The pigs were found with scratches and wounds and displayed stereotypical and other abnormal behaviors. One piglet was paralyzed, and two animals had bulges on their hindquarters. Numerous dead piglets were found near the sows. [38]
In 2018, Ten Have established the Dartelstallen for a new market concept: Hamletz. [39] The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming) awarded this concept two "Beter Leven" stars, and meat giant Vion became a partner. Ten Have supplies 200 Hamletz pigs to Vion's slaughterhouse in Groenlo every week, totaling 10,400 animals per year. Ten Have aims to increase this number to 300 per week (15,600 per year). [40] The Hamletz meat is distributed throughout the Netherlands via Albert Heijn and Dekamarkt.
For the development and production of Hamletz meat, Ten Have received support from several parties:
| Year | Origin |
|---|---|
| 2012 | ten Have received 45,000 euros from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation to develop a stable for frisking. [41] |
| 2017 | Rabobank is financing the construction of two darting stables for the Hamletz concept, while the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (AMF) is guaranteeing 70 percent of the business financing. This funding comes from the subsidy program for agricultural innovations, the SME Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme. [42] |
| 2018 | The Animal Protection Association is promoting the sale of Hamletz meat through a national campaign. [43] |
| 2019 | Reed Business Information, a publisher of agricultural trade magazines, named ten Have “Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year,” awarding her 12,500 euros. [44] |
| 2020 | The Barth-Misset Fund is donating 25,000 euros to ten Have for research on the temporary restraint of free-range farrowing sows and to test new flooring designs in free-range farrowing crates. [45] |
| 2020 | Every year, ten Have applies for subsidies from the European Commission. [46] |
The most recent amounts are:
| Year | Amount (€) |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 96,687.67 |
| 2019 | 82,989.37 |
| 2020 | 180,207.56 |
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