The Belgian FADN as a data source for environmental indication

This paper examines in which way the Belgian FADN can be an instrument for environmental indication. Also is examined to what extent the Belgian FADN attained its goal presented in PACIOLI 3 of developing an integrated software to collect accountancy and environmental data. Currently data on nutrients, pesticides and energy are collected in the FADN. The consumption of fertiliser is known per crop. Recently the flows of manure between farms and the use of manure per crop are recorded. Reliable data on the nutrient contents of feed are still lacking to draw up a nutrient balance. From this accountancy year on the use of pesticides is recorded for a number of crops and the energy consumption and
the efficiency of energy used in horticulture is analysed. Although this seems very positive the aim proposed in PACIOLI 3 was not achieved. The data are not collected in an integrated flexible software. For a lot of reasons it was preferred to develop separate software for the different applications. In the long run there are less possibilities for data collection and there is a risk that one day all these separate software will collapse. Time will tell if this choice was the right one.