Netherlands could cut livestock numbers by 5–10%

The Netherlands could tighten measures to reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture, potentially leading to a reduction in livestock numbers. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) has concluded that the government’s current €20 billion program will not be sufficient to meet its targets for 2035.

The government program aims to reduce ammonia emissions, a significant share of which comes from livestock farming, by 42–46% compared with 2019 levels. According to PBL, even after the planned measures are implemented, nitrogen deposition at more than half of the country’s protected nature sites is expected to remain above critical thresholds in 2035.

To meet the targets, PBL has proposed reducing permitted livestock numbers on farms by 5–10%. The measure could apply to dairy, pig and poultry farms across the country, rather than only to farms located near the most environmentally sensitive protected areas.

However, the Dutch government does not currently support an across-the-board reduction in livestock numbers. Agriculture Minister Jaimi van Essen said such a measure is not being considered as a primary policy tool and could only be used as a last resort if other measures prove insufficient to meet the 2035 targets.

A potential reduction in livestock numbers could affect Dutch milk, pork and poultry production, as well as domestic demand for animal feed. However, PBL’s proposal remains a recommendation, and the government has not made a final decision on a nationwide reduction in livestock numbers.

Tags: Netherlands, live livestock