Netherlands Case Study
In The Netherlands, the Partnership aims to explore nexus-informed pathways towards circular and ‘nature inclusive’ food systems.
Overview
Related publications:
- De Knegt, B., Lof, M. E., Le Clec’h, S. & Alkemade, R. (2025). Growing mismatches of supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Netherlands. Journal of Environmental Management. 373, 123442.
- Kok, S., Le Clec’h, S., Penning, W. E., Buijse, A. D., & Hein, L. (2025). Trade-offs in ecosystem services under various river management strategies of the Rhine Branches. Ecosystem Services, 72, 101692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2024.101692
- Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca; Polasky, Stephen; Alkemade, Rob; Burgess, Neil D; Cheung, William WL; Fetzer, Ingo; Harfoot, Mike; Hertel, Thomas W; Hill, Samantha LL; Johnson, Justin Andrew. 2024. Integrated modeling of nature’s role in human well-being: A research agenda. Global Environmental Change 88102891 à this one is related to the modelling, not to the Dutch case specifically.
- Pereira, Henrique M; Martins, Inês S; Rosa, Isabel MD; Kim, HyeJin; Leadley, Paul; Popp, Alexander; van Vuuren, Detlef P; Hurtt, George; Quoss, Luise; Arneth, Almut; … Rob Alkemade. 2024. Global trends and scenarios for terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services from 1900 to 2050 Science 384 6694 458-465.
- De Knegt, B., BC Breman, BC., Le Clec’h, S., Van Hinsberg, A., Lof, ME., Pouwels, R., Roelofsen, HD., and Alkemade, R. (2024). Exploring the contribution of nature-based solutions for environmental challenges in the Netherlands. Science of the Total Environment.
- Le Clec’h S., van Bussel L., Lof M., de Knegt B., Szentirmai I., Andersen E. (2024). Effects of linear landscape elements on ecosystem services supply and trade-offs in agricultural landscapes. Ecosystem Services.
BSc and MSc thesis:
- Vos, J. (2023). The integration of telecoupling and ecosystem services in coastal areas. BSc thesis
- Tijssen, H., (2023). The Coastal Protection Potential of Nature-based Solutions in the Dutch Wadden Sea. MSc thesis
Presentations in conferences:
- Paarlberg A., Le Clec’h S., Alkemade R. Nexus approach for resilient food futures in the Netherlands. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany, 2024
- Le Clec’h S., Paarlberg A., Alkemade R. Nexus approach for sustainable futures in the Netherlands. PECS-3, Canada, 2024
- Le Clec’h S. The contribution of Nature-based Solutions for resilience food systems, Huazhong Agricultural University, China, 2024.
- Le Clec’h S. Effect of field margins on multiple ecosystem services, Ex-ante analysis of agri-environmental climate measure, ETHZ, Switzerland, 2023.
Media coverage:
Case Study Objectives
- Environmental System Analysis (ESA) of the WUR
- Analyse, interpret, simulate complex environmental problems to understand causes, effects and solutions
- Communication to stakeholders.
- One key research topic: ecosystem services and biodiversity
- PBL – Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
- Prime institute to support Dutch government
- Conducting outlook studies, analyses & evaluations for environmental policy, using an integrated approach
- Two senior staff + PhD student and Msc students
Background
- Vulnerable food production systems on land and at sea to climate change.
- Hotspots of biodiversity
- Threats from human activities such as urbanization, agriculture activities and climate change.
- New policy concept of “nature-inclusive”, “circular” farming;
- Similar policy goals are set for fisheries under the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policies.
Aim of the Dutch Case Study
- Develop integrated scenarios for the FCB nexus
- Explore nexus-informed pathways towards circular and “nature inclusive” food systems;
- The Netherlands and Western Europe.
General Approach
- Review, harmonize and build upon existing scenario studies and outlooks on the environment, nature and food production sectors;
- Stakeholder consultation and participation;
- National and European scales;
- Consequences and trade-offs.
- Construct integrated environmental scenarios for NL;
- Inventory of models and data, and selection of appropriate models;
- Construct pathways towards ‘nature-inclusive’ climate smart, healthy food-systems;
- Analyse levers and barriers to achieve a natureinclusive society;
- Towards the synthesis – integration / linkage to other case studies.
Impacts
- Representation of plausible futures of ‘nature-inclusive’ food systems;
- Guidance to policy-makers and stakeholders on socioeconomic and/or policy transitions;
- Application of the nexus approach to solve FCB challenges in well-developed economies.
Milestones
- Synthesis of existing scenarios for nature inclusive food systems (year 2);
- Inventory of existing models and data and discussion of their applicability and needed adjustments (year 1);
- Portfolio of plausible pathways and associated trade-offs (year 4);
- Guidelines to transition towards ‘nature-inclusive’ food systems, for policy-makers and stakeholders based on the shared visions (year 5)
Team
Rob Alkemade
Wageningen University
Solen Le Clec’h
Wageningen University
