Circular agriculture has been at the centre of attention in politics and science for the past few years. Photo: Shutterstock
Intensive precision agriculture on clay soil in the Flevopolder, or extensive arable farming on sandy soil in Limburg? Circular agriculture can take various forms, each with its own advantages, disadvantages and requirements. But which form is best suited for which type of landscape? That is what Land Use Planning professor Martha Bakker aims to reveal.
“The water is becoming polluted, the soil exhausted and plants, birds and insects are in decline. To tackle these challenges, we need to switch to circular agriculture,” according to the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Circular agriculture, or closed-cycle agriculture, has been grabbing the attention of both politicians and scientists. But according to Martha Bakker, professor of Land Use Planning and a member of WIMEK, the plans for the switch fail to take a crucial aspect into account: the spatial layout of the landscape.
Farmland could be integrated into the Dutch landscape more effectively, but how? That question is the subject of Bakker’s research. “My involvement is driven by a genuine wish to have a country that is more attractive, with a more functional layout,” says Bakker. “A country where nature is better protected. Previously, when I was in my more rural-sociology period, I would look at things mainly from the farmers’ point of view. They were always being pushed from pillar to post. Over the past few years, though, I’ve been increasingly thinking that it's crazy that nature always gets the lowest priority in this country.”
In the SPLENDID project (Spatial PLanning for ENvironmentally Diverse cIrcular Development), Bakker considers which form of circular agriculture is most appropriate for which type of landscape. She does this in collaboration with provincial authorities, municipalities, water authorities and other partners. Specifically, the province of Noord-Brabant, the municipality of Oss and two water authorities are involved.
The Ministry of Agriculture has identified four principles (including soil health and the use of manure) that characterise circular agriculture, yet people often differ in what they associate with the concept. Bakker: “Everyone has a different idea of circular agriculture, from nature-friendly to something that requires sophisticated technology.”
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I hope we can use SPLENDID to expose the tensions between the wishes of the various players
Making use of manure from local livestock farmers narrows the cycle of circular agriculture. Photo: Shutterstock
SPLENDID is not aimed at selecting one specific interpretation. Far from it: the project sees the different kinds of circular agriculture as a strength. “They are probably all needed because they complement one another,” explains Bakker. “One kind might be nature-inclusive but relatively unproductive while another kind might be highly productive but do nothing to improve biodiversity or water quality. What matters is that we assess which type of landscape they are best suited to.”
Intensive, extensive and agro-parks
Before they could match the agriculture to the landscape, the researchers first had to catalogue the various kinds of circular agriculture. This search resulted in the brochure ‘Typeringen voor kringlooplandbouw’ (Typologies for Circular Agriculture). It identifies three main types: nature-inclusive circular agriculture; intensive, land-based circular agriculture; and high-tech, not land-based circular agriculture. These categories have been subdivided into subtypes, such as extensive livestock farming, precision agriculture and agro-parks. For each subtype, the researchers give a description of a hypothetical example and an indication of the advantages and disadvantages for the environment, agricultural production, biodiversity and the quality of life.
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It is crazy that nature always gets the lowest priority in this country
One such example is an extensive arable farm that mainly grows grain and alfalfa, occasionally also cultivating onions or potatoes. The farmer makes little use of pesticides and uses manure from local livestock farmers rather than artificial fertiliser. The produce is sold to local restaurants and supermarkets as much as possible. This hypothetical business scores above average for environmental aspects and biodiversity but it is considerably less productive than conventional arable farms.
The brochure is the result of a design study, says Bakker. “It is not an empirical, analytical study that you could publish as a paper in an academic journal. We got creative – it’s a kind of research through design. This is a culture we aren’t used to here, but it’s actually a very promising approach.” The researchers’ efforts met with an enthusiastic reception from the stakeholders within society. Oss municipality even designed an area plan based on the brochure.
Scattered
Bakker herself has already made a preliminary attempt at sketching a new spatial organisation of the Netherlands. In 2021, she designed a map of the country in collaboration with other Wageningen researchers. In this map, the agricultural land in the Netherlands is divided into three zones, based on such factors as soil type, the proximity of nature areas, and the cultural and historical value. Such zoning has major benefits, says Bakker. “At the moment, all those farms are scattered across the country, with all the associated negative effects on the environment and landscape.”
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My involvement is driven by a genuine wish to have a country that is more attractive with a more functional layout
Researchers consider which form of circular agriculture is most suitable for the type of landscape. Photo: Shutterstock
The map shows that Zeeland, the northern tip of Noord-Holland and the Flevopolder are best suited for highly productive forms of arable farming and intensive dairy farming, in part because of the fertile clay soils. The areas with sandy soil in the south and east of the Netherlands are better suited to extensive livestock and arable farming. The best solution for non-land-based agriculture, such as intensive pig and chicken farms and greenhouse horticulture, is to cluster them around transport hubs. The map drew attention from the national media, and several provincial authorities are using it as a source of inspiration. Bakker: “It circulated for a while within the Ministry of Agriculture as ‘policy input’, but they have become wary of maps ever since the notorious nitrogen map [showing the required reduction in nitrogen emissions]. The three possible forms are, however, seen in Agriculture minister Piet Adema’s outlook letter.”
The latest hype
This top-down design of a national map is actually a deviation from the standard approach within the SPLENDID project, where the emphasis is very much on working in partnership with stakeholders. Bakker finds it difficult to say which approach gets the best results. “That’s precisely the point politicians have now reached. They too are wondering whether the national government should lay down the law, or instead sit down for discussions with stakeholders. If you go for the second option, you can question how democratic that really is, given that the groups who get involved are usually groups that want to protect their own interests.”
Politics is never far off when sensitive topics such as farming and spatial planning are discussed, Bakker has found. “Science is at risk of getting forgotten somewhat because there is always a furore about something, such as the nitrogen issue. People soon resort to the easy solution rather than rearranging the country’s spatial layout based on solid arguments. I hope we can use SPLENDID to expose the tensions between the wishes of the various players and show when you should aim for a compromise and when not.”
Online
Read more about the research project SPLENDID
Read more about the research of the Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research (WIMEK)
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