Dutch manure crisis

Because of this manure derogation, Dutch farmers had been allowed to exceed a limit on organic fertilization, intended to protect water resources from nutrient pollution, since 2006.

Due to its expiration, mainly dairy farmers would no longer be able to use all the manure produced to fertilize their lands, resulting in an anticipated yearly surplus of 95 kilotonnes (210×10^6 lb) of nitrogen in 2026.

[2][3][4] Grasslands, especially prevalent among dairy farmers and fast-growing in the Dutch climate, absorb more nitrogen compared to cropland, and the Netherlands was exempted from the regulation starting in 2006.

European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius rejected the Netherlands's proposal for another extension in late 2021, citing worsening water quality and a lack of measures to lower livestock density.

Agriculture minister Henk Staghouwer of the fourth Rutte cabinet promised that the Netherlands would commit itself to extensive farming, and he predicted that the Dutch livestock population would decline by 30% as a result of its measures to tackle the nitrogen crisis.

An inspection agency found widespread fraud among suppliers of such plants, for example by using waste from illegal drug production, and it concluded in 2016 that subsequent usage of biogas residue as fertilizer was leading to severe health risks.

This was expected to rise to 95 kilotonnes (210×10^6 lb) of nitrogen in 2026 by the independent Dutch Center for Valorisaton of Manure (NCM), who performed an investigation at the request of Het Financieele Dagblad.

In December 2023, the House of Representatives passed a motion by the VVD with widespread support calling on the outgoing cabinet to present an action plan to tackle the crisis before March 2024.

However, following a broader movement across Europe, farmers protested at several locations, and they blocked a number of highways and border crossings to Belgium in early February 2024.

[17] Adema failed to get additional concessions from European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius for extensive dairy farmers, previously able to spread all manure over their land.

Member of parliament Cor Pierik of the Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB) pressed him to renegotiate with the European Commission, but Adema stated that there was no possibility for extending the Netherlands's legal exemption from the Nitrates Directive.

[19][21][22] Ahead of a debate in the House of Representatives, four farmers organizations presented an alternative plan that included a compensation scheme for voluntary reductions in the livestock population.