Pierik studied in Dordrecht, and he started working for Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in 1990. He would work there for 33 years in positions such as agricultural spokesperson and project leader for environmental publications.[2][3][4] He participated in a joint interview with BBB leader Caroline van der Plas and later registered with the party.[2] Pierik ran for the House of Representatives in the November 2023 general election as the BBB's sixth candidate and was elected.[5] In an interview, he called agriculture his passion and stressed innovations within the sector would be required to solve the nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands.[2] He is the BBB's spokesperson for housing, agriculture, food quality, nature, and environment.[6]
Personal life
Pierik was born in Genemuiden to a farmer. After studying, he lived in The Hague before returning to his parental home.[4] He ran the family business in Genemuiden next to his job at CBS.[2] He and his wife Karin remained residents of Genemuiden as of 2024, and they have three daughters and one son.[3][7] Two of their daughters took over the 27-hectare (67-acre) farm with 15 cows and 60 sheep.[2] Pierik is a member of the Reformed Church of Genemuiden, part of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and he headed its church council for four years as an elder.[7] He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer with metastases in the lymph nodes and peritoneum in May 2022, and his chance of survival was estimated at 20%. He recovered, and his chemotherapy was halted a year after diagnosis.[4][3]