“Creating a Sustainable Future for Dairy Goat Farming in the Netherlands”

The dairy goat sector is faced with a ban on expansion in almost all of the Netherlands. Entrepreneurs would like to see it differently. It is expected that business development will have to go hand in hand with making the sector more sustainable in the future in order to gain support for it in society. To give substance to this, the LTO Dairy Goat Farming department works closely with Wageningen University & Research.

Wageningen researchers have spoken with provincial governments and various social organizations and experts. They have translated the results into a set of points for attention that the sector can use to achieve a socially supported space for sustainable business development of individual dairy goat farms.

In addition to removing health risks that are the reason for the current expansion ban, it can also be about combating nuisance caused by odor or transport movements. Fitting the farm buildings into the landscape can prevent people from being disturbed by the appearance of goat farms. Taking good care of the animals is also part of acquiring and maintaining public support.

In goat farming it is mainly about goats that are difficult to value and therefore sometimes receive too little attention. Animal welfare is also a point of attention. Animals should be given the opportunity to develop their natural behavior as much as possible. Offering an outdoor area outside the barn can also contribute to support for the sector.

The sector organizations are also considering how to ensure that goat farmers meet the sustainability requirements. This could include a link with the existing quality system Kwaligeit, or integration into the Sustainable Goat Dairy Chain. Another option is a method such as the province of North Brabant applies the Brabantse Carefulness Score for Veehouderij.

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