People who live near a goat farm are “at significantly increased risk” of developing pneumonia. The Health Council reported this in a new report on Monday morning. At a distance of one kilometre, this is an increased risk of 19 percent compared to other Dutch people. But the closer, the higher that percentage is. Within 500 meters the risk has already increased by 73 percent. On average, 841 people living within one kilometer of a goat shed become ill every year.
The report ‘Health risks surrounding livestock farms 2025: part II‘ endorses what the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) previously concluded. In one report from February RIVM estimated that dozens of people die every year from pneumonia due to the proximity of a goat farm. This pneumonia can be the result of, for example, the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which causes Q fever.
But outgoing Minister of Agriculture Femke Wiersma (BBB) did not find the RIVM conclusions convincing enough at the time. That is why the Health Council was called in. It now concludes once again that there is “sufficient reason for the government” to take measures based on “the precautionary principle to limit health risks for residents of goat farms.”
In doing so, the Council is not only building on the results of the RIVM, but also on the first part of its own report, which was published in the summer. This showed that there is “probably a causal link” between goat farms and pneumonia, says Karien Stronks, chairman of the Health Council, in a digital press briefing. The Council has now looked at possible measures.
Measures
Although the “precise exposure routes” are not yet completely clear, according to Stronks, reducing emissions of “micro-organisms, particulate matter and endotoxins” is the most appropriate way to prevent exposure of local residents. It is “a complicated story,” she says. It is “multi-causal” and there are “different transmission routes”, but it is clear that reducing those emissions is necessary and more distance to “sensitive destinations”.
The simple summary of the advice: provide a different housing system that prevents the spread of emissions, shrink the sector and ensure more distance between people and goats. The committee recommends “as a precaution, to maintain a distance of at least 1 kilometer” when building a new goat farm near homes, or when building homes near an existing goat farm.
It is not yet clear whether Wiersma is convinced of the research results and wants to implement these recommendations. According to the NOS, which spoke to anonymous insiders, it “mainly continues to look at the business interests of the rapidly growing goat sector.” A majority of the House of Representatives wants a temporary stop on the construction of goat farms. On January 14, the House will debate the goat sector with both Wiersma and the outgoing Minister of Health, Jan Anthonie Bruijn (VVD).
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