Yn 2021 promovearre Ronald Plantinga op in ûndersyk nei de Fryske suvelsektor (1945-2020). Plantinga is sosjaal-ekonomysk histoarikus en as promovendus wie hy ferbûn oan ’e Fryske Akademy en ’e Ryksuniversiteit Grins. Fan syn proefskrift Nooit meer honger en natuurinclusief: Productiviteitsgroei en duurzaamheid in de Friese zuivelsector, 1945-2020 is no in hannelsedysje útbrocht. 

Wit goud, groene woestijn

The book 'Wit goud, groene woestijn. Zuivelproductie en het Friese landschap na 1945' is published by Uitgeverij Noordboek as a paperback and comprises 272 pages.

"The Frisian dairy sector changed dramatically after 1945. Small dairies and dairy farms became large-scale enterprises. Manual work was mechanised on a large scale. Productivity increased enormously, while the number of farmers and workers decreased sharply. At the same time, environmental pollution increased, the landscape became less diverse, and biodiversity in the agricultural area declined."

"The impact on the environment and landscape are in the public eye today, as evidenced by farmers' protests and discussions on climate change. There are loud calls for sustainable food production. Farming organisations and regional governments today play an increasing role in achieving this sustainability transition. But what role did regional actors play during the radical innovation processes in the post-war Frisian dairy sector? This book shows this through the post-war history of dairy production in Friesland."

"Ronald Plantinga holds a PhD for his research on the role of regional organisations in developments in the Frisian dairy sector, and is now working as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Groningen."