Emissions from Dutch agriculture were investigated, broken down by product groups, and the importance of homegrown agricultural products for Dutch exports for the year 2021. The figures were arrived at based on source information as available at the end of 2023.
Comparison with other European countries proved difficult, due to lack of data. The research by CBS was commissioned by the Dutch government 'Effects on emissions when Dutch agricultural production is relocated' (In Dutch), which was presented to the House of Representatives on 8 April 2024.
Relocating production from the Netherlands to other parts of the EU may have local
have benefits, as environmental pressures are reduced in the Netherlands. Whether there are overall environmental gains depends on how Dutch production is replaced. The Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector has the ambition to be climate-neutral by 2040 by switching to sustainable energy sources and using green CO₂. If this succeeds, there will be no need to relocate greenhouse horticulture to other countries from a climate perspective, say the researchers.
