Dutch Farmers Furious Over CO2 Emission Cuts Ordered By Gov't

Dutch farmers are embroiled in a summer of discontent that shows no sign of abating. Their target? Government plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia that they say threaten to wreck their agricultural way of life and put them out of business, Mike Corder reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The Dutch government intends to cut nitrogen emissions by half by 2030 and has set aside an additional 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to fund the adjustments.

The reduction targets could radically alter the Netherlands’ lucrative agriculture sector, which is known for its intensive farming, and may also foreshadow similar reforms — and protests — in other European nations whose farmers also pump out pollutants.

At the heart of the clash between farmers and the Dutch government are moves to protect human health and vulnerable natural habitats from pollution in the form of nitrogen oxides and ammonia, which are produced by industry, transport and in the waste of livestock.

The Netherlands, a nation of 17.5 million people inhabiting an area a little larger than Maryland, has 1.57 million registered dairy cattle and just over 1 million calves being raised for meat, statistics show. The country’s farms produced exports worth 94.5 billion euros in 2019.

Nitrogen oxides and ammonia raise nutrient levels and acidity in the soil, leading to a reduction in biodiversity. Airborne nitrogen leads to smog and tiny particles that are damaging to people’s health.

When the Council of State, the country’s top administrative court and legislative advisory body, ruled in 2019 that Dutch policies to rein in nitrogen emissions were inadequate, it forced the government to consider tougher measures.

The Dutch government dubbed the release of a map defining nitrogen reduction targets last month an "unavoidable transition," claiming that the coming year would finally provide clarity for Dutch farmers about "whether and how they can continue with their business."

The Dutch government sees three options for farmers: become (more) sustainable, relocate or stop.

The Dutch government intends to cut nitrogen emissions by half by 2030 and has set aside an additional 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to fund the adjustments. Provincial governments have one year to develop plans to achieve the reductions.

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