Regenerative farming: can we create a net-positive agricultural system in the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is known around the world for its highly efficient agricultural sector, with high production levels and low resource use and emissions per kilogram of food produced. Over the last decades impressive results have been achieved in the reduction of environmental impacts per kilogram. Despite these results, the cumulative impact on local ecosystems and living environment has reached critical levels, and many farmers are facing significant challenges to earn a living income.
To combat this, a team of 12 researchers from Utrecht, Wageningen and Amsterdam universities is exploring how the Dutch agricultural system can become regenerative, with positive impact on nature and the living environment, and with sustainable farmer business models.
Dutch agricultural system faces significant challenges
Dutch farmers are world-class when it comes to efficient production of high-quality dairy, greenhouse-grown food and flowers, but also field crops such as potatoes and sugar beets. However, the current production methods of conventional agriculture will face major challenges to meet long term objectives of climate neutral and circular production. In addition, agriculture puts considerable pressures on biodiversity, soil health and water quality.
“Quality of life and public health in rural areas are also impacted, particularly by air pollution from intensive livestock farms,” says PhD researcher Niko Wojtynia from the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. “Furthermore, most farmers walk a tightrope of needing to produce food at low prices while dealing with strict regulations and high labor and land prices – this situation calls for new solutions”.
A patchwork approach cannot address fundamental underlying causes
Previous policies and efforts will not be enough to meet long term objectives
Following the “hunger winter” in the final year of World War II, policies were introduced to raise productivity and ensure food security while simultaneously keeping food affordable and providing decent farmer incomes.
When these output-boosting measures eventually led to overproduction and pollution, they were adjusted. Changes in perception on food production, including concerns for animal welfare, also led to changes in production, voluntary standards and labels like for example the ‘better life’ label.
“While these examples show that reducing negative impacts on individual issues is possible, this patchwork approach of addressing single problems only when they have reached critical levels cannot address fundamental, underlying causes of a system that is locked-in and needs fundamental change,” explains Wojtynia.
Regenerative agriculture: a new way of thinking about food and farming
Instead of looking for new ways to reduce negative impacts on specific symptoms of a locked-in system, a team of researchers from Utrecht, Amsterdam and Wageningen universities are exploring how a sustainable, “regenerative” farming system can be created in the Netherlands.
The idea behind regenerative farming is that a diversity of production methods, such as intercropping, managed grazing or agroforestry, may improve and even restore soil health, water quality and biodiversity. Agriculture also has the potential to offset greenhouse gas emissions by sequestering carbon stored in soils, trees and plants.
A collaboration of scientists and farmers
The research process actively involves farmers from around the Netherlands who are already practicing, or experimenting with regenerative farming. The program is coordinated by the Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TiFN). The research partners in the project are Wageningen University and Research, Utrecht University, the University of Amsterdam and het Groene Brein. The private sector partners are FrieslandCampina, Cosun, BO Akkerbouw and Stichting WIJ.land. The program is funded by the TKI A&F, TiFN and the private sector partners.