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Potential of Extensification of European and Dutch Agriculture for a More Sustainable Food System Focusing on Nitrogen and Livestock

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Just Enough Nitrogen

Abstract

Most global strategies for future food security focus on sustainable intensification of production of food and involve an increase of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use, livestock production and risk of N pollution. In this chapter, we explore the potential of sustainable extensification for agriculture in the European Union (EU) and the Netherlands by analyzing cases and scenario studies focusing on reducing N inputs and livestock densities. Benefits of extensification to society include higher local biodiversity and less environmental pollution. Societal costs of N losses in the EU from agriculture are substantial and for 2008 are here estimated at 0.3–1.9% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Extensification also has risks such as a reduction of yields and therewith a decrease of both GDP and farm income. This also implies a smaller contribution to global food production and, potentially, an increase of global demand for land. For N-intensive agricultural systems in northwest EU, a reduction of N fertilization rate and livestock densities of up to 30% would reduce the external cost of N pollution to such an extent that society as a whole would benefit. However, compensation would be needed for net loss of farm income, e.g., by price premiums for cleaner production or improved animal welfare. Extensification scenarios with > 30% decrease of livestock production would require adjustment of human diets. A 2030 scenario for the EU halving consumption and production of animal products (demitarian diet) is here estimated to reduce N pollution by 10%, benefits human health and would transform the EU from a feed importer to a food exporter.

This chapter is an edited version of van Grinsven et al. 2015, Potential of extensification of European agriculture for a more sustainable food system, focusing on nitrogen, Environmental Research Letters, 10(2), doi:10.1088/1748-9326/10/2/025002 (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/10/2/025002/meta). It is re-used here in modified form with the permission of IOP Publishing Ltd., under Creative Commons license CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). The modifications include edited text (including the removal of the original Scope and Objective section), a slight rewording of the definition of sustainable intensification and extensification, and additional references.

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Acknowledgements

This chapter is an edited version of van Grinsven et al. 2015, Environmental Research Letters, 10(2), https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/2/025002, re-used here in modified form with the permission of IOP Publishing Ltd., under Creative Commons license CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0). The modifications include edited text (including the removal of the original Scope and Objective section), a slight rewording of the definition of sustainable intensification and extensification, and additional references.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bezuidenhoutseweg 30, 2594 AV, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Hans J. M. van Grinsven

  2. Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Jan Willem Erisman

  3. Louis Bolk Institute for International Advice and Research on Sustainable Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Care, Driebergen, The Netherlands

    Jan Willem Erisman

  4. VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jan Willem Erisman

  5. Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Droevendaalsesteeg 3, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Wim de Vries

  6. PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, P.O. Box 302, 3720 AH, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Henk Westhoek

  7. CEIGRAM/Department of Agricultural Production, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain

    Luis Lassaletta

  8. Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, 4 place Jussieu, Paris, France

    Luis Lassaletta

Authors
  1. Hans J. M. van Grinsven
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  2. Jan Willem Erisman
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  3. Wim de Vries
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  4. Henk Westhoek
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  5. Luis Lassaletta
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Correspondence to Hans J. M. van Grinsven .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Edinburgh Research Station, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK

    Mark A. Sutton

  2. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Edinburgh Research Station, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK

    Kate E. Mason

  3. National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Albert Bleeker

  4. Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK

    W. Kevin Hicks

  5. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Yaoundé Research Station, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Cargele Masso

  6. University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India

    N. Raghuram

  7. UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Edinburgh Research Station, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK

    Stefan Reis

  8. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Arusha, Tanzania

    Mateete Bekunda

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van Grinsven, H.J.M., Erisman, J.W., de Vries, W., Westhoek, H., Lassaletta, L. (2020). Potential of Extensification of European and Dutch Agriculture for a More Sustainable Food System Focusing on Nitrogen and Livestock. In: Sutton, M.A., et al. Just Enough Nitrogen. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58065-0_6

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