- Start project: 01-01-1999
- Einde project: 31-12-2028
- Financers: ZuivelNL, Ministerie van LVVN, Ministerie van I&W
- Projectleader: Marion de Vries
For 25 years, (Koeien & Kansen) has been the network in which dairy farmers, researchers, advisors and government agencies work together to make dairy farming more sustainable. The new phase focuses on target management: dairy farmers work with business-specific targets for among others nitrogen, greenhouse gases. In this way, valuable knowledge can be directly applied for policy as well as on the farm.
Dutch dairy farming faces major challenges: reducing nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing nitrogen and phosphate into ground and surface water, and strengthening biodiversity. At the same time, there is a need for a workable approach that takes into account regional and business-specific differences.
The project, launched in 1999, provides a unique environment for this. Fourteen pioneering dairy farms and the De Marke agro-innovation centre in Hengelo (Gelderland) serve as a research lab. Participating dairy farmers are spread across the country and represent different intensities and soil types. One of the participants runs an organic farm, for example, while another engages in very intensive farming. The focus in the coming years will be on target management. Dairy farmers will start working in practice with concrete, regional and appropriate targets that have been jointly set. The participating farms continuously assess and monitor whether the targets are achievable.
Practical examples
We work towards concrete targets, such as reducing emissions by 35 percent compared to 2020, producing at least 65 percent of protein fed to animals on our own land and promoting more herb-rich grassland.
WUR’s approach rests on four pillars:
- Incubator: development and testing of innovations such as RENURE, equilibrium fertilisation and target management.
- Practice: intensive measurements and guidance on dairy farms.
- Dialogue: strategic coordination with sector and government on policy application.
- Communication: wide dissemination of knowledge through study groups, trade journals and digital platforms.
A clear approach is being developed that will enable dairy farmers to meet the targets set, appropriate to their own region. To this end, government agencies receive reliable information and tools for policy, dairy farmers receive practical tips and advisors get concrete measures.
Cows & Opportunities shows how sustainability in dairy farming can go hand in hand with a healthy farm income. The project will help dairy farmers achieve several environmental goals at the same time by 2030, such as reduced emissions and more circular agriculture.
Working with target management gives farmers more scope for customisation and better insight into their own performance. Circularity on the farm then grows, and dairy farmers can transparently share their results with society, the market and government. They do this in the form of field trips, engaging in dialogues, and articles in national and regional magazines.
Future prospects
Based on 25 years of experience and using target management as its compass, remains the network in which dairy farming makes progress in sustainability. Or, as WUR research associate Koos Verloop sums it up: "There are 25-50% environmental gains up for grabs through better management on farms. Through intensive collaboration between practice and research, we can take many more steps together."
The strength of lies in the intensive collaboration between industry, government and research. As Gerjan Hilhorst, research associate at Agro-innovation centre De Marke, emphasises: ’’Collaboration between farmers, researchers, advisors is crucial to exploit as many opportunities as possible within the sector."
Cows & Opportunities is a collaboration between Wageningen University & Research, ZuivelNL, LTO, NMV, DDB, NAJK, Agrifirm, ForFarmers, PPP Agro Advies, DLV, Countus, Takens Advies, 3D Agro Advies and Waterschap Drents Overijsselse Delta.
Farm-Specific Excretion
This method calculates how much nitrogen and phosphate a dairy farm actually excretes through manure. If this is less than the RVO table, farmers can save on manure disposal. This allows farmers to better manage feed and mineral efficiency.
Kringloopwijzer
The KringloopWijzer is a tool that enables dairy farmers to map their mineral flows. In this way, we can work towards efficient use of feed, manure and land, as well as reduce the environmental impact.
BedrijfsWaterWijzer
The BedrijfsWaterWijzer gives dairy farmers insight into their water use, drought and flood risks, and offers practical tips for smarter water management.
Perceelsverdeler
The tool Perceelsverdeler tool can provide plot-specific advice on N, P and K fertilisation. This tool, developed as part of the project, can help to further optimise fertilisation.
- Customisation in target management
- Twenty years of data and knowledge
- Circular agriculture in practice
- Integrated approach to circularity
- Short lines between practice, science and policy
- Knowledge sharing and scaling up
Measurements and data are used to identify and substantiate innovations aimed at reducing emissions into the environment.
Dairy Campus is the national innovation center for the dairy sector in Leeuwarden where business, science and practice come together to build a sustainable future
Longread
Climate and livestock: practical innovations for reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Climate disasters are increasingly affecting the world. One of the main contributors is the greenhouse gas effect, and livestock farming contributes to this. This must and can be done differently. Together with farmers, governments and industry, Wageningen University & Research is working on practical solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming.
Through research into grazing and fresh (herb-rich) grass as the basis for the feed of the future, WUR works on future-proof land-based dairy farming
Methane emissions from cows and sheep can be reduced by 25% using breeding programmes
WUR receives 27.4 million dollars from Bezos Earth Fund & Global Methane Hub to start the Global Methane Genetics initiative and reduce emissions from cows and sheep
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