Jonas Veldhoen on public land allocation for a sustainable agricultural transition, the Teylingen lease case, and the Lord of the Rings.

What kind of mind-set is needed to carry out ground-breaking research as we do at UUCePP? UUCePP researchers introduce themselves in brief interviews conducted by Elisabetta Manunza and Fredo Schotanus. Today: PhD candidate Jonas Veldhoen.

'Who' and 'what' are you? 

“My name is Jonas Veldhoen, and I was born and raised in Utrecht. In September 2025, I started my PhD at Utrecht University. Following my high school graduation I studied Law in Utrecht and followed the LLM Law and Sustainability in Europe at Utrecht University (UU). The choice for Law was mostly fueled by my desire to address injustices in society, and my tendency to turn conversations with friends into debates on virtually all issues (not always to everyone’s liking).”

“The Law and Sustainability Master focuses on the very emerging field of international and EU sustainability law. The program teaches a wide variety of fields of sustainability law, like regulating climate change, protecting natural resources and fostering a circular economy. The program and wonderful teachers fueled my interest in doing further legal research, and in September I joined the UU as a PhD researcher. In this capacity I will be part of the Centre for Regulation and Enforcement (RENFORCE) and the Centre for Public Procurement (UUCePP).”

“In my free time, I am an avid cyclist and runner in and around Utrecht. It always amazes me how well the urban and rural areas in the Netherlands are connected: within a 10 minute bike ride from the Utrecht city centre you are in the beautiful Amelisweerd forest. The presence of natural areas near urban areas is important for providing services, not only to humans but also to the environment. The potential deforestation associated with the widening of the A27 motorway is therefore a poor idea.”

Achieving current and future environmental goals requires a shift in how land is organized and allocated in the Netherlands. My research examines the legal instruments available to governments for this transition.

What are you working on, and why?

“My PhD research focuses on sustainable land use and management in the Netherlands, within the frameworks of environmental law and public procurement law. The project is part of the NWO Fertile Soils initiative, an interdisciplinary consortium addressing landscape services. Achieving current and future environmental goals requires a shift in how land is organized and allocated in the Netherlands. My research examines the legal instruments available to governments for this transition, both through environmental law and the sale, lease, and acquisition of land governed by public procurement law.”

“Contributing to a more sustainable future is a core motivation in my work, and I hope my research will influence governmental decision-making. My focus is not only on what the law should look like, but also on the practical tools governments have to foster sustainable land use and support a sustainable agricultural transition. While discussions about environmental issues often center on mitigating global warming and reducing CO₂ emissions, the scope of law and sustainability extends far beyond this. In the Netherlands, for example, challenges such as water quality, land degradation, and biodiversity loss are also critical. Sustainable land use can improve nature, land and water quality, and enhance the ecosystem services nature provides. I view the law as a key instrument to facilitate the transition from our current model to a more sustainable one, but also to provide safeguards against unsustainable use.”

“Public procurement, especially within the context of dividing the scarce resource of land in the Netherlands, plays a vital role in this transition. The central and decentral governments are large landowners, as 20 percent of land is in public hands. Public procurement rules apply to public land allocation in every form (lease, sale etcetera), which signifies the potential for contributing to a sustainable transition. My research will focus on this potential, and will examine the similarities and differences between sustainable public procurement instruments and environmental law instruments for contributing to environmental goals, and consider whether or not these differences and similarities can be justified.”

“An example of a clash between mandated equal opportunities and environmental goals is the Teylingen lease case. The municipality of Teylingen published the decision to lease out several plots of land for a six-year period, after a tendering procedure. One of the sitting lessees was a biological cattle farm that invested in nature conservation, which led to an increase in the meadow bird population. The plot was awarded to a non-biological dairy farmer. This change of lessee led to backlash, because of which the sitting alderwoman stepped down and the allocation was reversed.”

Our world seems to be in a continuous state of various crises: can you indicate for one (or possibly several) of these crises how this affects your research?

“As my research focuses on sustainable land use and management, the climate crisis is naturally the most influential on my research. In my view, this is the biggest challenge the world faces. Without action, the adverse effects will severely impact lives all over the world. This can be seen in the choice of the word ‘sustainable’: the current paradigm of land use and consumption cannot be sustained on a livable Earth. Implementing the law as a tool for preventing (a small part of) these adverse environmental effects is important, and public procurement law can significantly contribute to this.”

Name the book/movie/thinker that impressed you the most, shaped you, would like to read or see you 100 more times and why?

“I will split this question into two: fiction and non-fiction. The book and movie that I come back to at least once a year (somehow always during the Christmas break) has to be the Lord of the Rings. The book is such an amazing creation of a vast fantasy world that showcases the brilliance of Tolkien, and the movies are still to this day the best example of a fantasy book being adapted for screenplay. Peter Jackson did a great job in sticking close to the story, but also cutting out many parts without affecting the story. And, most importantly: there is a Lord of the Rings quote for practically every situation.”

“In the area of non-fiction, I enjoy reading the work by Kate Raworth. Her Doughnut Economics concept is an effective visualization of the needed paradigm shift, from unlimited growth with environmental effects as ‘externalities’, to staying within the planetary boundaries and ensuring wellbeing for all people. Apart from her sound scientific analysis, she is an incredibly enthusiastic speaker who focuses on the practical and positive application of this concept, through the Doughnut Economics Action Lab.”