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…
Nitrogen on the table: the influence of food choices on nitrogen emissions and the European environment
Current European diets are characterised by a high intake of meat, dairy products and eggs, leading to an intake of saturated fat and red meat that exceeds health recommendations. Livestock production…
Trends in Global Vegetation Activity and Climatic Drivers Indicate a Decoupled Response to Climate Change
Detailed understanding of a possible decoupling between climatic drivers of plant productivity and the response of ecosystems vegetation is required. We compared trends in six NDVI metrics (1982–2010)…
Management options for restoring estuarine dynamics and implications for ecosystems: A quantitative approach for the Southwest Delta in the Netherlands
The Delta Works protect against flooding, but simultaneously cause environmental and socio-economic problems. We explore the consequences of management options and their implications for the…
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats: A SWOT analysis of the ecosystem services framework
The ecosystem services concept is a cornerstone of contemporary sustainability thought. Challenges with this concept and its applications are well documented, but have not been systematically assessed…
Assessment of global land availability: land supply for agriculture
We developed a new assessment method of the land supply for agriculture, on a grid scale basis and per region, which takes into account both biophysical, institutional and socio-economic parameters of…
Impacts of European livestock production: nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus and greenhouse gas emissions, land-use, water eutrophication and biodiversity
Livestock production systems currently occupy around 28% of the land surface of the European Union (equivalent to 65% of the agricultural land). In conjunction with other human activities, livestock…
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
