Interview Rudy Rabbinge
'Innovation towards zero emissions for the entire livestock sector'
The nitrogen policy, as it now threatens to take further shape under the direction of Minister Christianne van der Wal (Nitrogen), must be seriously adjusted. The current effort is ineffective, because it yields little. The emissions of ammonia themselves have not decreased since 2006. The policy is unfair. The burden is disproportionately placed on agriculture, while it is prohibited from innovating. And that is precisely the only proven approach, good for ultimately zero emissions.
This is stated by emeritus professor Rudy Rabbinge and Lubbert van Dellen, director of food & agri at the advice and accountancy firm Accon avm, in a letter to Van der Wal and fellow minister Henk Staghouwer (Agriculture). According to them, the current approach is 'a dead end with gold'. The government has opted for an approach that builds on the PAS policy rejected by the Council of State. In the meantime, the recommendations of the Nitrogen Problems Committee (Remkes Committee) are hardly used, if at all. Rabbinga was a member of this committee.
Also read: Nitrogen policy cabinet can be much better and fairer en Van Dellen: Nitrogen policy requires equal treatment
Rabbinge was asked why he, together with Van Dellen, are sending a letter of fire right now.
"We are now at a turning point. The cabinet wants to spend billions on the purchase of land and companies, but threatens to do so in an expensive, ineffective way. Measurements in neighboring countries, for example Denmark, have shown that the emissions from agricultural farms partly close to the barn, but not further than a few hundred meters from it. This has even been demonstrated in very large farms with up to 600 cows. The rest of the emissions is absorbed into a general nitrogen blanket. This means that the purchase of farms goes further than a few hundred meters from nature reserves is pointless. The blanket must be tackled there. In Belgium they have also understood that."
"You have to encourage emission-free production at companies at a greater distance from nitrogen-sensitive areas. Agriculture knows how to do this. Emissions can even be reduced to zero, but then you have to be able to innovate. There are measures in industry and traffic. more difficult, but reduction is possible there too."
You also write that the reduction of ammonia emissions from livestock farming has come to a standstill since 2006, when the government switched from target regulations to means regulations with the scrapping of Minas. Why was this not raised earlier and louder?
"Yes, the RIVM should do something like this, but apparently a number of premises about the behavior of substances according to certain models have been adhered to there."
It is not the task of scientists to constantly question themselves and others, to be critical and to see whether their assumptions still correspond to the best insights? Or has research in the service of policy come to dominate pure, independent research too much?
"At a certain point they are apparently no longer open to criticism. And the last thing, I am very concerned about that. Good research should not be guided by policy."
Is it then the case that people can only speak freely after they have retired or are otherwise no longer associated with institutions?
"I never agreed to mince words or to have my voice taken away. Then it wouldn't become a certain job. For that reason, a special construction was made for me at the time between the World Bank and Wageningen, so that I could speak freely."
One last question. In Science is recent a publication published that puts the nitrogen problem in a partly different light. In addition to an excess in the atmosphere, there is an increasing shortage of nitrogen in the soil and crops, which threatens food production, among other things. What is your reaction to that?
"The only remedy for that problem is not a political measure, but the application of the best ecological practices."
Klaas van der Horst
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
