'Ammonia policy in the Netherlands is failing'

Arable farming unions, livestock unions and some other organizations are demanding new ammonia regulations. They believe that current policy is based on ammonia concentrations that the government has estimated tens of percent too high.  

The Dutch Dairy Farmers' Union (NMV), Dutch Pig Farmers Union (NVV), Dutch Dairymen Board (DDB), Dutch Arable Farming Union (NAV), Dutch Poultry Farmers' Union (NVP) and the Association for the Preservation of Farmers & the Environment (VBBM) have united in the ammonia coalition (NH3 coalition). 

Review ammonia policy
The coalition calls on the government to review the ammonia policy. They believe that there is sufficient ground for this in response to the report published this year 'Ammoniak policy in the Netherlands' by the scientists Hanekamp, ​​Briggs and Crok. International independent scientists now support the results of the report in the scientific journal 'Soil Use and Management' (SUM). 

Too high
The coalition wants the research of Hanekamp, ​​Briggs and Crok to be included immediately in all political decision-making about ammonia and nitrogen, both nationally and regionally. The ammonia concentration in the air is estimated by the government to be tens of percents too high.  

State Secretary Martijn van Dam ignored the investigation this spring and stated 'that the Dutch ammonia policy is sufficiently substantiated.' 

Significantly invested
The coalition cannot stomach this position of Van Dam. According to the unions, the entire Dutch manure policy is based on overestimated data. The nitrogen deposition, caused by ammonia from agriculture, is probably much lower than previously assumed. This also explains why the measurement data show little decrease, while agriculture has invested heavily in ammonia reduction.

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