As part of the European Green Deal, various strategies, directives and regulations have been developed in Brussels over several years to reduce the adverse impact of human activity on ecosystems. The time has come for member states to incorporate these documents into national legislation. The Dutch government intends to cut nitrogen emissions in the agricultural sector by 50% over the next 7 years.

Since 2019, it has been extremely difficult (in fact, virtually impossible) in the Netherlands to obtain permits for the construction or expansion of new farms. According to estimates by the Dutch government, the new emission reduction target would affect approximately 30% of Dutch farms, yet this must be done to reduce biodiversity and climate "catastrophes". Farmers, however, predict that roughly half of the country's farms will have to cease operations, food production volumes will fall dramatically, food will become more expensive, and the farms that do survive the changes will be balancing on the brink of collapse. Farmers anticipate that as production volumes fall, hauliers, processing plant workers and other related individuals could lose their jobs.

To protest against these changes, tens of thousands of farmers are coordinating to block major national roads, food stores and logistics hubs, burning bales of straw and dumping manure in urban areas. There have also been instances of farmers damaging police vehicles. Dutch security authorities have been attempting to block the movement of farmers and disperse protesters; in one case, they even opened fire on a 16-year-old youth who was driving a tractor. Nobody was injured in that incident.

Dutch colleagues report that the government is currently willing to negotiate only if a mediator or intermediary is involved.

Information has also been received about the first protests in Germany, Poland and Italy.

 

It is naive to imagine that decision-makers do not know where food comes from. In their view, cow farts are a threat to the planet, even though they arrive at the World Economic Forum in Davos in private jets themselves. The Dutch, Germans, Spaniards and Poles are protesting, but as for Latvians, we can predict that we will obediently slaughter our livestock, leave our fields fallow, and tighten our belts. A report from Farmers Weekly: "Dutch farmers’ protests against government policy and agflation (the artificial raising of food production costs) which is destroying their businesses" has spread to several European countries. Farmers are protesting against rising costs and government restrictions on livestock numbers and fertiliser use in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions.

Last month, the Dutch cabinet announced plans to implement a £22 billion (!!!) programme to cut nitrogen emissions by 50% by 2030 to ensure compliance with EU rules on nitrate pollution. In some areas, it may be necessary to reduce emissions by 70% or more.

Under the proposals, farmers would have to drastically cut nitrogen oxide and ammonia emissions from livestock farming by 40%, which would result in many farms having to downsize and some having to close.

Thousands of angry Dutch farmers have blocked ports, airports and roads with their tractors. Bales of straw are being burned in the streets, and manure has been dumped outside government buildings. Meanwhile, videos have emerged showing food running out in Dutch supermarkets. In a show of solidarity, farmers in Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland have begun protests, which are rapidly turning into an EU-wide campaign against "anti-agricultural policies".