On the way to climate-friendly farming: Attitude and behaviour of Dutch farmers towards greenhouse gas emission reduction on their farms

While food is a fundamental necessity, sustainable food production poses challenges for Dutch farmers. Food production must be sustainable, and resource overuse must be avoided to mitigate the environmental impact. Methane and, to a lesser extent, nitrous oxide are emitted by biogenic processes such as animal husbandry and crop cultivation. Additionally, energy consumption in various production processes leads to carbon dioxide emissions. Hence, we identify three agriculture climate change mitigation pathways: energy conservation, renewable energy, and non-CO2 reduction, focusing on methane. This dissertation delved into farmers' attitudes and actions from 2012 to 2020, aiming to comprehend the motivating factors for energy conservation, renewable energy, and methane emission reduction. The central research question was: "What determines climate-friendly behaviour of farmers, and how can the transition to climate-friendly behaviour be accelerated?”. To answer our research question, we carried out four case studies. Our research discovered that different motivating factors influence various climate change mitigation measures. "Saving costs" motivates all energy-saving measures, while innovators and early adopters are more likely to implement renewable energy measures. Non-CO2 reduction measures are mainly driven by the willingness to take greenhouse gas (GHG) measures and knowledge about GHG emissions. The differences in driving forces between measures underscore the importance of distinguishing between them in research and communication campaigns. We analysed over 25,000 farm records from 2015 to 2018 to study energy efficiency in the Dutch dairy sector. Key findings showed that increasing production enhances efficiency through economies of scale but also leads to a greater degree of mechanisation, such as automatic milking systems, which can decrease efficiency. Solar panels are key in improving energy efficiency and reducing farm fossil fuel use. However, including solar energy in total electricity use can lead to a "rebound effect" where farmers with solar panels are less energy efficient than those without. The differences in energy efficiencies (20 – 150 Wh/kg milk) still indicate significant potential for energy savings. The potential for rooftop solar PV in agriculture in the Netherlands is significant. Our research revealed that cost savings were a major reason for farmers adopting solar energy. Behavioural intentions were a strong determinant for solar PV adoption, preceding actual adoption for 27% of farmers. The dairy sector in the Netherlands contributes significantly to methane emissions. Our research is the first to demonstrate that many farmers try out measures to reduce methane emissions. Still, they often abandon them shortly after implementation due to poor profitability, high complexity, and numerous farm-related trade-offs. This especially accounts for measures with a management character. Our research highlights that farmers have an entrepreneurial mindset, viewing climate mitigation measures as part of their overall farming profitability and quality. They are willing to reduce GHG emissions after their basic economic needs are fulfilled. Our research has found that panel data analysis is not commonly used in this study area, likely because collecting panel data can be complicated due to non-respondents and dropouts. Despite this challenge, we strongly recommend using panel data collection over cross-sectional data due to its strength and robustness, which can significantly improve research quality. Our study leads to several policy recommendations, such as the urgent need for realistic long-term goals to reduce methane emissions. These goals should be based on a robust vision for the future of livestock farming in the Netherlands and would provide a stable policy framework in the long term. Moreover, it is essential to distinguish between biogenic and fossil methane emissions and apply the differences in 'global warming factors' recommended by the IPCC.