Potential of extensification of European agriculture for a more sustainable food system, focusing on nitrogen
Most global strategies for future food security focus on sustainable intensification of production of food and involve increased use of nitrogen fertilizer and manure. The external costs of current…
Losses of Ammonia and Nitrate from Agriculture and Their Effect on Nitrogen Recovery in the European Union and the United States between 1900 and 2050
Historical trends and levels of nitrogen (N) budgets and emissions to air and water in the European Union and the United States are markedly different. Agro-environmental policy approaches also differ…
Global implementation of two shared socioeconomic pathways for future sanitation and wastewater flows
Households are an important source of nutrient loading to surface water. Sewage systems without or with only primary wastewater treatment are major polluters of surface water. Future emission levels…
Nitrogen use and food production in European regions from a global perspective
Current production systems for crops, meat, dairy and bioenergy in the European Union (EU) rely strongly on the external input of nitrogen (N). The current paper reviews key features of the complex…
Struggling to deal with uncertainties. What is known about indirect land-use change?
The efforts that are required in order to mitigate indirect land-use change (ILUC) and achieve a considerable reduction in emissions from biofuels crops, compared to the fossil-fuel alternative…
Share of raw material costs in total production costs
The share of raw material costs in the total costs for producers can be calculated using different methods. This note compares two of these methods; the energy and material costs and the basic raw…
In ‘The Netherlands in 21 infographics – Facts and figures on the human environment’ the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency presents facts and figures in a novel way. The booklet covers…
Vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to changes in harmful algal bloom distribution in response to climate change: projections based on model analysis
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), those proliferations of algae that can cause fish kills, contaminate seafood with toxins, form unsightly scums, or detrimentally alter ecosystem function have been…
Key role of China and its agriculture in global sustainable phosphorus management
Growing global demand for food leads to increased pressure on phosphorus (P), a finite and dwindling resource. China is the largest producer and consumer of P fertilizer in the world. A mass balance…
Towards standardised evaluative measurement of nature impacts: two spatial planning case studies for major Dutch lakes.
In the assessment of complex spatial planning projects, ecological and socio-economic impacts are fundamental to the evaluation. The measurements of the ecological impacts of spatial plans have to be…
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
