Minimising the societal costs of manure management: Modelling the optimal strategy and location for nutrient recycling

Abstract Nutrient leaching from agriculture significantly impacts livestock-dominated regions, surpassing local tipping points. Current nutrient policies are insufficient and cost-inefficient. We addressed this by combining spatial damage internalization with model-based manure and fertilization strategy optimisation. Our findings emphasize the need for additional manure treatment in sensitive regions to lower societal costs. Despite reducing societal costs, greenhouse gas emissions doubled, and private costs tripled, highlighting conflicts between environmental, climate, and economic goals.