7.3.   Progress on environmental regulation of agriculture



In connection with the 1987 Action Plan on the Aquatic Environment, a comprehensive nationwide programme was established to monitor the state of the aquatic environment and to identify trends. The monitoring programme has shown that the main objective - a 50% reduction in N loading - has not been achieved. There has not been any noticeable fall in nitrogen loading of marine areas.


Measured nitrogen loss at agricltural catchment monitoring sites(average for 1989-92)

The establishment of manure slurry storage tanks has progressed satisfactorily since 1986 and by April 1994 90% of Danish livestock farms had storage capacity for at least 6 months’ slurry production. Moreover, 2/3 had the capacity to store at least 9 months’ production. The farmers have also become more inclined to use their manure slurry storage tanks in the manner intended. In 1993 74% of the slurry was applied in the spring or summer11. The trend has largely been as intended, but it has not yet lead to any evidence of measurable reduction in environmental impact.

However, there has been strong resistance to the rules on fertilization strategy, which farmers considered to be pure bureaucracy. The resistance made the Minister for Agriculture and Fishery slacken the requirement that all farmers should submit fertilization budgets. Now it is only those farmers selected for a random test that have to draw up such a budget. There is nevertheless still considerable paperwork in the system, and it will be interesting to see what the farmers do in practice. Over-fertilization of land to which animal fertilizer is applied has remained largely unchanged. Set-aside of land is expected to help reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Of the total area of agricultural land, 7% was set aside in 1993 in accordance with EC rules. This is estimated to have led to a limited reduction in nitrate leaching.

In the case of certain minor points the targets have been reached, however. The requirement of impermeable bases under manure heaps was aimed at reducing the so-called farmyard loading, i.e. leaching from manure heaps and animal housing. This probably amounted to approx. 20,000 tonnes N per year, but has now fallen to approx. 5,000 tonnes N per year14. An inspection campaign in 1987 brought an end to the discharge to watercourses of seepage water from manure and silage stores. Ammonia volatilization has also been reduced, presumably by 15,000 tonnes N per year.

The question of the role of the agricultural sector in phosphorus pollution of lakes is not encompassed by the plan for sustainable agriculture. Since the municipal sewage treatment plants have begun to remove phosphorus the agricultural sector’s role as a source of phosphorus pollution has become apparent. The open land accounts for more than 50% of phosphorus input to lakes15. The future agenda thus contains further questions directed at the agricultural sector.