ABN AMRO Proposes Affordable Measures for Nitrogen Emission Reduction
Amsterdam, Monday, 19 May 2025.
ABN AMRO suggests strategies like pasture feeding and reduced livestock to cut Dutch nitrogen emissions, promoting ecological recovery and farming sustainability.
Strategic Cost-Effective Solutions
ABN AMRO’s latest analysis, released on May 19, 2025, demonstrates that a combination of measures is essential to achieve the targeted 42-46% reduction in nitrogen emissions compared to 2019 levels [1]. The bank’s research highlights that management measures such as grazing optimization and reducing young livestock numbers can effectively lower nitrogen emissions at relatively low costs, without requiring government support [2].
Expert Insights on Implementation
Pierre Berntsen, Director of Agribusiness at ABN AMRO, emphasizes that farmers often know best which solutions suit their operations: ‘A tailor-made combination of measures can make a major contribution to nitrogen reduction in the dairy sector. Farmers are ingenious and often know best what suits their business’ [1]. The bank’s analysis suggests that with appropriate incentive policies, a 30% nitrogen reduction is achievable without imposing hundreds of millions of euros in annual costs on the dairy sector [2].
Technical Innovation and Support
Among the technical innovations being considered is the Lely Sphere system, a circular stable system designed to separate mineral flows and transform nitrogen emissions into valuable liquid fertilizer [1]. ABN AMRO is actively supporting dairy farmers through this transition by providing guidance for monitoring business models and making responsible investment decisions to ensure long-term viability [2]. These developments come as the Dutch Parliament’s Agriculture Committee prepares to discuss target-based management approaches on May 22, 2025, which will translate nitrogen targets to the farm level [1].