European environmental regulations to reduce water pollution: An analysis of their impact on UK dairy farms

This study simulates the impact of environmental regulations on a group of dairy producers in the UK. The regulations originate from the EU and the Netherlands, and are designed to reduce water pollution from livestock waste. Policy simulation is carried out using Linear Programming models and an environmental sub-model allowing policy to be assessed in both economic and environmental terms. In many cases, policy imposition has no effect, and hence the distribution of waste across farmland and the targeting of pollution policy are considered. © Walter de Gruyter, Berlin.