System Merits or Failures?

System Merits or Failures?: Policies for Transition to Sustainable P and N Systems in The Netherlands and Finland

Hoppe, T. (TU Delft Organisation & Governance)
Kuokkanen, Anna (Lappeenranta University of Technology)
Mikkila, Mirja (Lappeenranta University of Technology)
Kahiluoto, Helena (Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke))
Kuisma, Miia (Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke))
Arentsen, M (University of Twente)
Linnanen, Lassi (Lappeenranta University of Technology)

2016

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles are absolutely vital in maintaining sustainable food systems. Human activities disturb the natural balance of these cycles by creating enormous additional nutrient fluxes, causing eutrophication of waterways and pollution in land systems. To tackle this problem, sustainable nutrient management is required. This paper addresses sustainable nutrient management in two countries: The Netherlands and Finland. We adopt a critical perspective on resource politics, especially towards opportunistic policy strategies for the pollutant management of N and P. Two research questions are considered. First, what are the key systemic and policy failures that occurred in the N and P systems in the Netherlands and Finland between 1970 and 2015? And second, which lessons can be drawn when addressing the policy responses in the two countries to cope with these failures? The cases are analyzed within Weber and Rohracher’s framework that addresses “failures” preventing sustainable transitions. The results show that a number of failures occurred, besides market failures (over-exploitation of the commons, externalization of costs): lack of directionality, policy coordination, institutions, capabilities, infrastructure, demand articulation, and reflexivity. Policy responses in both countries resulted in ponderous policy frameworks that were adequate to tackle nutrient problems from the industrial sector and municipalities. However, both countries provided only a moderate response in terms of system-wide integrated policy frameworks to cope with sectoral-transcending issues. The agricultural use of N and P, in contrast to detergents, has not been subjected to strong regulatory measures.

sustainable transition
nitrogen
phosphorus
environmental policy
policy failure
OA-Fund TU Delft

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c0ff4eb0-9e8a-45ee-b0ab-84a7e25a9e29

https://doi.org/10.3390/su8050463

2071-1050

Sustainability, 8 (5)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2016 T. Hoppe, Anna Kuokkanen, Mirja Mikkila, Helena Kahiluoto, Miia Kuisma, M Arentsen, Lassi Linnanen