Netherlands: strong peasant protests continues
Holland is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world and the first in Europe for meat production. A not indifferent peasant tradition, which leads Amsterdam to be an unexpected capital of food.
The billionaire profits that the country can boast thanks to the work of small and medium-sized farmers were, however, annoying the European Union.
The European Union has been riding for some time now the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, the set of goals agreed by the UN for the future, which has sustainability as its guiding thread. Those who support this agenda are convinced that meat production is an unsustainable evil for life on earth. Breeding and consumption must be reduced, indeed, now it is pushed to replace beef with grasshoppers.
While it is true that livestock produces nitrogen oxide and ammonia emissions, it is also true that a transition to less intensive farming methods could be sustained, before asking humans to completely change their diet.
However, this has not been considered by the EU. The EU asked the first meat producer to drastically reduce emissions, again on the basis of the Agenda 2030 agreement signed in 2015. The government in June of this year thus imposed on farmers to reduce their livestock, farmers to use less manure as fertilizer and advised all 11,000 Dutch companies to convert to a more sustainable business.
In addition, the Netherlands, along with other small European countries, have a special exemption from the European Union for using more fertilizer than the permitted limit. The Union has decided to begin the process of phasing out this exemption.
In a country with more cows than inhabitants, where one in ten Dutch people work in the countryside, the protests were not long in coming. For the whole summer, Dutch farmers and ranchers took their tractors onto the road, blocking entire stretches and parading to the centers of power. The protests also touched upon violent moments, with direct clashes between police and peasants.
The perseverance of the Dutch, who never stopped protesting from June to September, however, paid off. Shortly after making an agreement with the European Union to permanently eliminate the manure exemption, Agriculture Minister Henk Staghouwer resigned. In a short statement at the beginning of September, the minister admitted:
I don't think I'm the right person to solve agricultural problems.
According to the breeders, however, nothing will change. The minister has been replaced with his predecessor, who will probably continue the green policy at all costs, even at the expense of economic well-being.
References:
https://www.politico.eu/article/dutch-farm-crisis-rocky-path-climate-transition-henk-staghouwer/
Thank you for covering these protests!
On that subject, not one pep in over 3 months of these protests from #1 Deep Dive farmer and globalist muppet @zyx066 (666 Christian hater, racist and promulgator of baby killing), who only lives there, and instead of saying ANYTHING he has continued to spew hatred of conservatives in America. In the beginning of this year for about 3 or so months he would also blatantly farm, not once engaging anyone and literally posting every single day. He's been supported by @v4vapid and @resonator, with zero engagement, ever.
Mainstream media don't cover this as it's successfull and against the 'powers', they keep it unknown so other people don't know they can follow the example and protest for other stuff