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Agricultural transition

Nature under pressure
Dutch agriculture faces major challenges. Livestock farming is responsible for high nitrogen emissions, which fall into nearby nature reserves and put biodiversity under pressure. Intensive farming practices, monocultures, and the use of pesticides lead to a decline in insects, birds, and plants. Additionally, the surplus of manure causes significant environmental damage, such as soil acidification and water pollution.

The agricultural sector is also affected by climate change, dealing with drought, heavy rain, and unpredictable weather. Farmers are under great economic pressure due to low margins, rising costs, and stricter environmental regulations. To overcome all these challenges, a transition to new agriculture is necessary, where farmers, nature, and climate go hand in hand.
Nature under pressure
Protein Transition
Protein Transition
Agriculture in the Netherlands is dominated by the production of feed for Dutch livestock. Nearly 40% of the land area is dedicated to growing maize, grass, and other crops that serve as feed for the millions of cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals kept in the country. The majority of the produced meat is then exported abroad. Livestock farms are responsible for large nitrogen emissions and the surplus of fertilizers in the soil. Many livestock farms are also located in peat areas, where low water levels cause peat soil subsidence, leading to high greenhouse gas emissions.

To reduce the environmental pressure caused by our meat production (which is largely destined for export), an adjustment to our diet is necessary. Shifting from animal proteins like meat, dairy, and eggs to plant-based proteins from nuts, legumes, and beans offers numerous benefits. It reduces water usage, decreases land use, and prevents nitrogen and fertilizer emissions. This transition will have a significant impact on farmers, who will raise less livestock and instead focus on growing crops for human consumption.
Cycle
Arable farming also faces a major transition challenge. Intensive arable farming with monocultures puts pressure on the habitats of birds, insects, and plants. It also degrades soil structure and health, with risks of salinization and erosion. The use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides can lead to the leaching of nitrates and other chemicals into groundwater and surface water, negatively affecting drinking water sources and aquatic ecosystems.

The transition in arable farming means moving from large-scale monocultures to a more natural form of agriculture that better aligns with our cultural landscape, water systems, and soil types. By growing the right crops on the right soil, the need for fertilizers and pesticides is reduced. Crop rotation, agroforestry, the creation of nature-friendly hedgerows, and field margins enhance the ecological value of the land, provide ecosystem services to farmers, and strengthen the cultural landscape.
Cycle
New Crops
New Crops
Some of these new forms of arable farming may result in lower or uncertain yields. To provide farmers with perspective in the future, the value of our landscape should not only be based on the actual output of the land but also be valued for the ecosystem services that farmland provides. Especially the growing demand for new sustainable building materials, such as hemp and bulrush, and compensation for carbon storage in the landscape, have never been as profitable as they are now, thanks to rising emissions allowances. This presents opportunities for farmers.

In addition, saline crops, such as seaweed and wet crops like cranberries, offer the possibility of growing food for human consumption on land that is currently unsuitable for such cultivation. Moreover, multiple land use can be promoted, for example, by combining a food forest with recreational housing or growing red fruits under solar fields. By integrating ecosystem services into the valuation of agriculture and aligning land use with natural water and soil systems, the Dutch landscape becomes more diverse, resilient, ecological, and aesthetically appealing.
our efforts
projectCompleting the cycle!?
The need to reorganize our food system is evident. In addition, circular agriculture is being put forward by more and more parties as a beckoning perspective. Circular agriculture produces as little waste as possible, the emission of harmful substances is as small as possible and raw materials and end products are used with as few losses as possible. Circular agriculture is also on the administrative and policy agenda in North Holland. That is why the Provincial Advisor Spatial Quality (PARK) has commissioned Studio Marco Vermeulen and Het PON & Telos to carry out a spatial exploration into the opportunities for circular agriculture in North Holland.
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projectShared Peel
In the municipality of Horst aan de Maas lies the Mariapeel, a protected nature reserve covering approximately 1,400 hectares. The area has been designated as a Natura 2000 site, a Special Protection Area under the Birds Directive, and a Special Area of Conservation under the Habitats Directive. Additionally, it is an important area for recreation and tourism.

However, the area faces challenges such as drought, nitrogen deposition, and a general decline in biodiversity. Drainage, emissions, and the use of fertilizers in adjacent agricultural areas burden the neighboring nature. To preserve the valuable nature, agricultural practices in the immediate vicinity would need to change without losing their economic and cultural value. How can the energy transition, reduction of drought, improvement of water quality, and nitrogen issues become drivers for a more attractive landscape and a new future for the area?
projectThe Peel
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projectLandscaping the Food
The current linear food production system is unsustainable due to its high CO2 emissions and depletion of natural resources. The food sector significantly contributes to global CO2 emissions, both from production methods and product transportation. In Northeast Brabant, livestock has a water footprint of 2.9 billion m³, with 99% coming indirectly from outside the region. Agriculture in this area consumes the most water per hectare in the Netherlands and is responsible for 5.5 million tons of CO2 emissions, representing 20% of agricultural-related emissions in the country.

There is an urgent need for a smarter system that utilizes circular economy principles. This involves mimicking natural cycles and systems to increase efficiency and turn waste into value. The Agro as de Peel project focuses on enhancing sustainability in the Agro as de Peel area, which includes municipalities such as Uden, Landerd, and Boekel. By better balancing nitrogen and phosphate cycles, the sector can contribute to a more sustainable food system.