Exploring alternative dairy farming systems on peat soils in the Green Heart

The Green Heart is a prominent peat soil area in the South-West of the Netherlands, which houses several Nature 2000 areas alongside intensive dairy production. Its unique landscape is considered of both cultural and historical value, but faces controversies regarding the environmental impact of dairy production on drained peat soils. These peat soils are predominantly used as pasture for dairy production, and have a large potential to deliver a range of ecosystem services and contribute to biodiversity conservation. The provision of ecosystem services and biodiversity is of great importance to increase the resilience of farming systems. However, current systems are limited in their ability to provide these services, as their main aim is to produce food. Proposed solutions to improve the sustainability of these systems include the introduction of farming practices such as the use of herb-rich grassland, alternative cow breeds and raising groundwater tables. However, models offer little insights into the effects of these practices and their impact on environmental and economic sustainability. In addition, farm models are quite limited in exploring consequences at regional level.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to explore future options for dairy farming in the Green Heart to inform decision making, from farm to region. In this way, we can widen the alternatives for dairy farming, understand the consequences in environmental and socio-economic terms and better guide the current discussion. First, the model on farm level will be developed that includes the relevant alternative practices and their impact on the provision of ecosystem services and biodiversity, as well as food production. Second, a range of diverse farming systems will be tested to determine trade-offs between, for example, food production and biodiversity, and to determine whether there is room for improvement within current systems. Third, these diverse farming systems will be integrated on a regional level, by making the systems spatially explicit for the Green Heart. Last, the outcomes will be discussed with stakeholders (farmers, policy makers and finance) to explore the implications, opportunities and feasibility, to ultimately inform the transition towards more sustainable dairy farming in the Green Heart.