The Netherlands, “a third of the livestock on farms should be killed”, a bill to reduce pollution

he is it is necessary To reduce approx third The farmer Cows, pigs and chickens: is the goal and plan of the government of the Netherlands 25 billion euros To persuade farmers to give up part of their livestock. In fact, the country is facing an overload of manure, which pollutes natural environments and produces a lot of emissions. The Netherlands has the highest livestock density in Europe, but today it also faces potentially dire consequences for the situation, at least for the environment.

for days jam From Holland protestThey set fire to beams and dirtied the streets with manure. The problem is there law proposal government for”Cut nitrogen and ammonia pollution in half by 2030According to experts, the pollution “strongly linked to farmsThat is why it is necessary to “cut back 100 million heads” of cows, pigs and chickens by a third. The Netherlands has been facing a problem for years. Overproduction of manure Which mixes with urine and is released ammoniaNitrogen compound. An excess of this chemical element can damage natural environments, especially if it comes into contact with lakes and waterways through runoff from farms. In the 2019 The Netherlands’ highest administrative court has ruled that the government stands Violation of EU law And it wasn’t doing enough to reduce excess nitrogen in natural at-risk areas. today is “A note for rural areasThe government is clear: “Nitrogen and ammonia production, in addition to other standards, must be reduced from -12% to -70% depending on the region, and it is precisely peasants that are most affected.”

The “Memo for Rural Areas” program plans to persuade farmers to voice Finance, to give up livestock to move towards other sectors. For this reason, as a shock absorber for the implementation of the program, the government has allocated 25 billion euros until 2030. However, another step is to push them to Transfers for large farms, with fewer animals over a larger area. So there are tens of thousands of animals to be killed on at least 17,600 farms, and 11,200 of which are set to close if they don’t change or move. The plan, the first of its kind in the world, meets the obvious Farmers’ opposition: They complain of economic problems in addition to the fear of permanent damage to the country’s food production. “We don’t want the system to collapse,” the farmer said. Marie Cleaver From the Dutch Young Farmers Union, Al guardian.

By July, individual counties should have present their plan to reduce nitrogen, but Many abstained from voting. The multi-billion dollar plan is expected to mature over 13 years. It will start as a volunteer program, with compensation provided to farmers who were asked to leave the Strip. The tougher farmers argue that they will only accept voluntary measures, and in any case, they want more time to reduce emissions, waiting for technological innovations to solve the problem without having to give up their heads. “The cars were very polluting, but they had a chance to make it less harmful with innovation. That’s what we want,” the MP said. Caroline van der PlasFounder of the Dutch Farmers’ Party burger (BB). On the other hand, the Dutch government’s plan has a certain consensus among farmers, who over time have switched to quantities and methods with less environmental impact: “What is good for the economy is not good for the earth,” said the organic farmer Jaring Bruniawhich manages a small dairy herd, although there is plenty of land for grazing and manure disposal.