Two-thirds of livestock housing emissions come from cattle farmers, but lowest contribution to emission reductions

In Focus on nitrogen emissions from livestock farms (Dutch only), the Netherlands Court of Audit examined ammonia emissions from livestock housing. These account for approximately half of nitrogen emissions from livestock farming. The remaining ammonia emissions from livestock farming originate outside livestock housing, for example from the application of manure to agricultural land. Nitrogen emissions from livestock farming account for just under half of total nitrogen emissions in the Netherlands. The remaining emissions come mainly from industry and transport.

The analyses show that national livestock housing emissions decreased by 10.7 kilotonnes (18%) between 2019 and 2025. Half of this decrease is linked to the farm closure schemes.

Emission reductions among cattle farmers lag behind

Since 2019, 1,329 livestock farmers have made use of one of the five schemes examined by the Netherlands Court of Audit. Cattle farmers (dairy and beef) participate less in the farm closure schemes. The decrease in livestock housing emissions from cattle farms is also smaller than that from other livestock farms.

Funds for farm closure schemes remain unused

Budgets for voluntary farm closure schemes are often not fully used. As a result, the minister achieves less than would be possible if the budgets were spent in full. In total, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVVN) made €4.2 billion available for the schemes between 2019 and 2025. Of this amount, 38% was not spent. The unspent €1.6 billion could have resulted in an additional 3.3 kilotonnes of emission reductions.

 

Zoning can make a limited contribution to meeting nitrogen targets

The Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVVN) intends to submit its nitrogen policy to parliament before the summer of 2026. This policy had not yet been published when the Netherlands Court of Audit's report was released. The Jetten government is working on a plan to reduce, among other things, nitrogen emissions in zones close to vulnerable nature areas. Relatively large numbers of cattle farmers operate within 1 kilometre of vulnerable nature areas. They account for 69% of emissions within 1 kilometre of these areas.
At the same time, the research shows that cattle farmers in particular participate proportionally less in farm closure schemes: 2% of all cattle farmers in the Netherlands participated in a scheme, compared with 5% of poultry farmers and 8% of pig farmers. It is therefore expected that zoning can make a limited contribution to achieving the nitrogen targets.