Integrated impact assessment of climate and socio-economic change on dairy farms in a watershed in the Netherlands

While the exact impact of different drivers will always remain uncertain, this study showed that changes in prices, technology and markets have a relatively larger impact than climate change, even when extreme events are taken into account. By using whole farm plans as activities that can be selected, the model is grounded in observations, and it was shown that half of the farms are gross margin maximizers as assumed in the model. The model therefore indicates â¿¿what could happen ifâ¿¿, and gives insights in drivers and impacts of dairy farming in the region.