The Statutory Research Tasks Unit for Nature & the Environment (WOT Nature & Environment) ensures that the statutory research tasks in support of nature and environmental policies are carried out professionally and reliably.

The Statutory Research Tasks Unit for Nature & the Environment (WOT Nature & Environment) ensures that the statutory research tasks in support of nature and environmental policies are carried out professionally and reliably. These tasks are carried out for and financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature. The research topics are divided across a number of expertise areas.

The Agri-Environment expertise area carries out the statutory research tasks for the Ministry’s Plant Supply Chain and Food Quality Department. This department is jointly responsible for national and international policy for the agricultural supply chain. The statutory research tasks support the following policy areas:

Manure policy

The Dutch government’s manure policy is laid down in the Fertilisers Act This Act regulates the nitrogen and phosphate flows in Dutch agriculture. Policy, circumstances and scientific understanding are continually changing, and in response the Manure and Fertilisers Act is regularly revised. This involves changes to assumptions, rules, standards, the evidence base, standardised values and fixed penalties.

WOT Nature & Environment provides advice via the  Scientific Committee on Nutrient Management Policy (CDM) and assists laboratories with sample analysis.

Authorisation of plant protection products and biocides

The Dutch Board for the Authorisation of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb) needs a toolkit for assessing whether plant protection products and biocides are safe for use. The properties investigated are:

• leaching to groundwater
• persistence in the topsoil
• exposure in surface water

Simulation models are needed that must be continually available via internet and which can be operated without problem.

Agriculture and Land Use Task Group

The Pollutant Release and Transfer Register provides statistics for national and international reports, such as the Balans van de Leefomgeving (a state of the environment report) and the Kyoto Protocol. Via WOT Nature & Environment the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature ensures the timely release of emissions data for agriculture and for land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF). 

Agri-Environment expertise area in WOT-Magazine:

How many pollutants enter the atmosphere, water and soil in the Netherlands? For many decades Wageningen University & Research has supplied emissions data for agriculture, land use and forests. These serve as the basis for a variety of national and international environmental reports.