Nitrogen map causes farmers' revolt The question of how livestock farming in the Netherlands aligns with European environmental regulations has been an issue for decades. For many livestock farmers, a degree of reassurance could still be drawn from the 2017 Nitrate Map (21b), which depicts surface water quality. However, the June 2022 'nitrogen map' that emerged had a seismic impact, detailing well-known problem areas such as North Brabant, North Limburg, and the eastern sandy soils, and mandating substantial measures to comply with European nature regulations.