Is agricultural intensification in The Netherlands running up to its limits?

Abstract

Highlights• Highly intensive agriculture in the Netherlands and elsewhere already has a large environmental and social footprint.• Still, the Dutch debate about sustainable agriculture is characterised by a one sided focus on the need to produce more food.• Trade-offs between population size, food consumption patterns and land spared for nature should be better acknowledged in policies.• Policies addressing damaging consumption are practically non-existent.