Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has built an agricultural sector that is a world leader in productivity and competitiveness. But environmental challenges have grown increasingly urgent and the sector will have to adjust. A recent court ruling on nitrogen pollution has set the stage for a transition towards a more environmentally sustainable path that will be difficult and contentious. Leveraging the strong innovation capacity of the sector will be key to finding long-term solutions that work for farmers, citizens and the environment.
Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in the Netherlands takes stock of the current situation in the agriculture sector. It applies the OECD Productivity, Sustainability and Resilience (PSR) analytical framework along with the latest data from the OECD Agri-Environmental Indicators to benchmark the country’s sustainable productivity performance and to identify the main challenges facing the sector, and make suggestions for a possible path forward.
Context, drivers and outcomes
The Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agricultural products, and agricultural products represent 17% of Dutch exports. Horticulture, grazing livestock and granivores (pig and poultry) contribute the most to agriculture gross value added. This chapter examines trends in agro-food production, consumption, and trade, as well as the policies that most affect this sector. The main drivers and outcomes are presented, with a focus on the evolutions in productivity, input use, and emissions. Sustainability is higher on the agricultural policy agenda, driven by concerns about ammonia and nutrient emissions, issues with water quality and lack of progress in climate change mitigation. The national CAP Strategic plan (CSP) increases emphasis on innovation and environmental sustainability by transferring funds from Pillar 1 to Pillar 2 and emphasising eco-schemes.
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