<div dir="ltr"><div><span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string">The Dutch government is enacting a policy of confiscating farmland in the Netherlands for the purpose of reducing pollutant levels such as Nitrogen Oxide and Ammonia (predominantly emitted in large-scale intensive farming units), with the complementary outcome for the government of creating their own food distribution central authority. This ''pollution-reduction' policy <span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string"> to cut nitrogen emissions </span>has been signposted by the World Economic Forum as part of the drive to bring-into-being net zero climate policy objectives. The move is part of the 2019 Climate Act to bring greenhouse gas emissions down by 49% by 2030. However, the way the Dutch government is bringing this new regime into effect through the confiscation of land equates to a mass-land grab by the Dutch State. <br></span></div><div><span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string"><br></span></div><div><span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string">Dutch farmers have recently been taking to the streets in mass protests against the measures, blokading supermarkets, distributions centres and roads in response to government plans .with farmers are not taking it lying down. See here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpe7w8fttJY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpe7w8fttJY</a></span></div><div><span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string"><br></span></div><br><div><h1 class="gmail-leading-tight gmail-tk-neue-haas-grotesk-display gmail-font-semibold gmail-h2 gmail-mt-0 gmail-mb-2">
Dutch Farmers Protest Plans To Reduce Livestock Numbers And Emissions
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Shots were fired at a recent protest as farmers took their tractors to the streets
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<span>By</span>
<a href="https://plantbasednews.org/author/amy-buxton/" title="Posts by Amy Buxton" class="gmail-author gmail-url gmail-fn" rel="author">Amy Buxton</a> </p>
11th July 2022 <br><div><span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string">Ref: <a href="https://plantbasednews.org/news/dutch-farmers-protest-emissions-cuts/">https://plantbasednews.org/news/dutch-farmers-protest-emissions-cuts/</a></span></div><div><span dir="auto" class="gmail-style-scope gmail-yt-formatted-string"><br><br></span></div></div><p>Police in the Netherlands responded to Dutch farmers violently protesting government plans to slash nitrogen emissions.</p>
<p>Farmers rode their tractors through the province of Friesland, in the
northern Netherlands. The large machines moved to force a barricade of
police officers and vehicles out of the way. The <a href="https://twitter.com/POL_Fryslan/status/1544434501648105480?s=20&t=JQVzRPssODx43NEhzKuadQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">“threatening” situation</a> saw one tractor shot at by armed police.</p>
<p>The protest concluded with three arrests for attempted murder and no injuries.</p>
<h4 id="gmail-h-what-are-dutch-farmers-protesting-about"><strong>What are Dutch farmers protesting about?</strong></h4>
<p>The Dutch government recently unveiled plans to drastically reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.</p>
<p>Deeming the environmental policy as an “unavoidable transition,” the
government will impose stringent restrictions on the region’s
agricultural sector. The move is part of the 2019 Climate Act to bring
greenhouse gas emissions down by 49 percent by 2030.</p>
<p>Pulling in <a href="https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2020/01/17/dutch-agricultural-exports-worth-%E2%82%AC94.5-billion-in-2019" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">€94.5 billion in exports</a>
in 2019, the farming sector is a significant economic string in the
Netherlands’ bow. But it is also a major contributor to its
environmental impact.</p>
<p>Animal agriculture is responsible for up to <a href="https://plantbasednews.org/news/environment/animal-agriculture-responsible-for-87-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">87 percent</a>
of all greenhouse gas emissions. This makes reducing livestock numbers
imperative, particularly for farming-reliant nations such as the
Netherlands. <br></p><p>Farmers have previously attempted to <a href="https://plantbasednews.org/culture/law-and-politics/the-netherlands-farmers-cow-numbers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reduce their operational emissions</a>
in light of the “nitrogen crisis” in the region. The government now
wants to see more progress. It acknowledges the struggle ahead for
agricultural businesses as they try to align with the new plan.</p>
<p>“Of course, it has enormous consequences. I understand that, and it
is simply terrible,” Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands said
in a statement. “And especially if they are businesses handed down in
the family who want to proudly continue.”</p>
<p>The new reduction targets are ambitious. Many farms will need to
produce up to 70 percent fewer emissions. However, figures of up to 95
percent are touted. </p>
<p>The Dutch government has set aside €24.3 billion to finance the realization of the emissions targets.</p><p><br></p><p><b>How will Farmers reduce their emissions?</b><br></p>
<div class="gmail-wp-editor-post-content gmail-lg:text-[18px] gmail-max-md:text-[17px] gmail-tracking-[0.02em]"><p>Agricultural business owners are preparing to use less fertilizer and <a href="https://plantbasednews.org/news/environment/dutch-farmers-reduce-livestock/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reduce livestock numbers</a>. The latter could see smaller farms forced to close. </p>
<p>Provincial governments have one year to finalize plans for meeting their localized reduction targets.<br><br>The
Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association (LTO) has called
the targets “unrealistic.” It currently represents more than 35,000
farmers, many of which are calling for large-scale demonstrations in The
Hague. Small protests have seen farmers driving their tractors in
disruptive convoys. </p>
<p>The Paris Agreement calls for emissions to be cut to prevent global
warming increasing by more than 1.5°C. In simple terms, this means a 45
percent global reduction of said emissions by 2030. </p>
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