And the next nitrogen report calls for exodus farmers

A few days after the publication of the nitrogen version of Erisman and Strootman, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) takes it a step further. In a new nitrogen report, the cabinet's advisory body argues that a large part of the agricultural companies in North Brabant, Gelderland and Overijssel in particular should disappear. "A historically unparalleled transformation of 'agricultural' the Netherlands must be taken into account."

The PBL calls the report 'Towards a way out of the nitrogen crisis' itself a so-called policy letter. In other words: the advisers want to provide briefly described considerations on which the future cabinet can base its nitrogen policy. These considerations have similarities with the vision that self-proclaimed nitrogen professor Jan-Willem Erisman and landscape architect Benno Strootman published last week.

In short, the PBL also advocates making large areas in 'nitrogen-sensitive' provinces such as Noord-Brabant, Gelderland and Overijssel free of farmers. Even when these agricultural sectors are organic, circular, nature-inclusive or high-tech in nature. It is striking that the Groene Hart, specifically named by Erisman et al., does not appear in this vision. The PBL is cautiously advocating, like Erisman, not to take generic nitrogen measures in the short term. According to the PBL, investing in emission-reducing techniques by Dutch livestock farming - as the sector itself advocates through LTO, among others - 'may not fit in with the strict long-term goals for nitrogen, nature and climate'. 

Accelerated depreciation of investments
PBL even compares it with 'the new coal-fired power stations'. In other words, livestock farming can invest many millions in reducing nitrogen until 2030, but after that it will get stuck on the stricter targets that have been set for 2040 or 2050. "The risk is that large investments in low-emission agriculture will have to be written off more quickly." According to the PBL, if the cabinet wants the Critical Deposition Values ​​(KDW) to be achieved everywhere in the long term (after 2035), plans must be made in the provinces with nitrogen-sensitive nature, according to the PBL, in which places work will be done towards phasing out large parts. of open livestock farming and arable farming.'

In these areas there will only be room for very extensive agriculture, which 'more comes down to nature management than to a serious production function'. According to the PBL, there is then no place for organic or nature-inclusive agriculture, because production methods are also associated with significant residual emissions. Like Erisman et al., PBL would rather see an area-oriented approach, in which the targets in nitrogen, water and nature are tackled directly.

Oil on the fire
The vision of the PBL is undoubtedly fuel on the fire for Farmers Defense Force (FDF) and Agractie, who are organizing large-scale farmer protests next Wednesday 7 July. This includes a manifestation on the Malieveld in The Hague, organized by Agractie. Sjaak van der Tak, chairman of LTO Netherlands, stated this morning on NPO1 that LTO supports the actions of Agractie on Wednesday. FDF organizes various regional protests around Assen, Zwolle, Arnhem and Den Bosch.

In the report of the PBL, LTO Nederland mainly sees a warning to politicians: if unattainable standards are set, this means the end of a liveable countryside in large parts of the Netherlands. It is all the more important that, according to LTO, politicians look at proposals that, according to the organization, do have support, such as the acceleration plan Sustainable Balance.

"There will be no support whatsoever for wiping out our wonderful sector in entire areas. I see this PBL report as a warning to politicians: think very carefully about the goals you set for the distant future, because if you If you set standards, you end all agriculture and horticulture in large parts of the Netherlands," says Sjaak van der Tak, chairman of LTO Netherlands, in a statement.

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