Synthesis and review: Tackling the nitrogen management challenge: from global to local scales
One of the ‘grand challenges’ of this age is the anthropogenic impact exerted on the nitrogen cycle. Issues of concern range from an excess of fixed nitrogen resulting in environmental pressures for…
The picture of Africa’s increasing dependence on imports and large-scale agricultural expansion to keep up its food supply needs nuancing. Domestic production increase was the dominant factor for food…
The PBL study Subsiding soils, rising costs provides a clear-cut overview of the impact of peatland subsidence and possible measures for both rural and urban areas. A directed policy adopted now may…
Climate Change Will Make Recovery from Eutrophication More Difficult in Shallow Danish Lake Søbygaard
Many lakes around the world suffer from nuisance algal blooms and biodiversity loss, caused by excess nutrient loading. Recent studies indicate that these problems are aggravated by the ongoing global…
Assessing the land resource–food price nexus of the Sustainable Development Goals
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for a comprehensive new approach to development rooted in planetary boundaries, equity, and inclusivity. The wide scope of the SDGs will necessitate…
Current and future technical, economic and environmental feasibility of maize and wheat residues supply for biomass energy application: Illustrated for South Africa
This study assessed the feasibility of mobilizing maize and wheat residues for large-scale bioenergy applications in South Africa by establishing sustainable residue removal rates and cost of supply…
Evaluation of the Dutch Implementation of the Nitrates Directive, the Water Framework Directive and the National Emission Ceilings Directive
There is a strong overlap between the general protection goals of the Nitrates Directive, the Water Framework Directive and the National Emission Ceilings Directive; however, policies to implement the…
Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector
The global livestock sector supports about 1.3 billion producers and retailers, and contributes 40–50% of agricultural GDP. We estimated that between 1995 and 2005, the livestock sector was…
Why Danish pig farms have far more land and pigs than Dutch farms? Implications for feed supply, manure recycling and production costs
An average Danish pig farm has 3500 pigs, 170 ha of agricultural land, whereas a typical Dutch pig farm has 2500 pigs with only 10 ha. The main factors for the contrasting development are a stronger…
Negative global phosphorus budgets challenge sustainable intensification of grasslands
Except for grassland soils in some northwestern European countries, grassland soils in most of the world have been exhausted over recent decades, particularly by exporting more phosphorus that is…
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
