Dutch (organic) agriculture, carbon sequestration and energy production

Summary

Carbon sequestration in soils is often mentioned in the discussions about climate changes. In this paper the opportunities for carbon sequestration in Dutch agriculture are discussed at farm and national level. Farm internal carbon sources are already completely used in livestock farming. The effect under arable conditions is limited in time and very limited compared to national CO2 emission. External sources are scarce. Energy production out of crop residues and manure via biogas installations is possible but the overall impact is again very limited. The effect of this biogas pathway on soil organic matter quantity and quality is not yet known. Organic arable farmers do already have a higher soil organic matter content than conventional farmers, partly due to external carbon sources. This puts them in a leading position. The disadvantage is that it is more difficult for them to do a next step in increasing soil organic matter.