Emotion and pain as Dutch farmers fight back against huge cuts [38][39][40] These policy proposals were consistently met with opposition by farmers and their representatives. Also on 12 December, farmers blocked the Albert Heijn distribution center in Zwolle and briefly the Zaanstad distribution center on 13 December. [41] In Zeeland farmers began negotiating instead of holding protests. [127], On 20 September, tens of farmers attempted to enter the city center of The Hague with their tractors to protest during Prinsjesdag, in defiance of a state of emergency declared for the duration of festivities. 27 May 2023. Police said they were responding to a "threatening situation" when the farmers, who were attempting to push past a blockade to get onto a It has to happen.. This gives it Europes highest livestock density, with insufficient land to make good use of the waste from more than 100 million cattle, chickens and pigs. Between 1990 and 2010, considerable progress had been made in reducing agricultural pollution, during a series of coalitions between centre-left and centre-right parties. [180], Not all home visits have been tolerated, however; a man wielding a torch and using menacing language outside the residence of minister Sigrid Kaag in January 2022, for example, was sentenced to five months in prison for threats of violence, incitement, and disruption of the democratic process. If it enters lakes and streams via farm runoff, excessive nitrogen can damage sensitive natural habitats. Elshof, who marched in a June protest but hasnt joined the more disruptive efforts, says governments and climate advocates hoping to enact environmental reforms need to communicate better and offer more support if they want farmers to make a rapid change. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Toby Sterling | EJAtlas. [47][48], 1 October was one of the days with the most intense protests. Heavy rains continue to hit Japan, suspending some trains, After rough start, UN plastic treaty talks end with mandate for first draft, 3M reaches tentative $10 billion pollution settlement with US cities, Bloomberg reports, Boeing CEO says fixing supply chain constraints is 'frustratingly slow', JPMorgan president says loan demand declining, US economic slowdown weighs, Walmart reiterates goal of doubling international gross merchandise in five years, Disney removes some produced content from its direct-to-consumer services. As a result, ammonia pollution is affecting air quality in some areas. "De boer dat is de keerl" (Achterhooks for "The farmer, that is the man") is an adaption of a Fiddlin' John Carson American country song and tells the story of the hard-working and undervalued farmer who is deprived of his money. An increase in the global population of methane-belching cows, now over a billion-strong, has doubled atmospheric levels of the potent greenhouse gas since 1900. And it is the farming sector that is going to bear the brunt of emissions cuts. If other farmers in her region sell their farms, Elsof and her husband, both in their 50s, might be able to keep their cows, she says. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital On 6 May 2020, Minister Schouten announced that she would set a maximum for the crude protein content in fodder for dairy cattle that would take effect in September 2020. The Netherlands is famous for its highly productive agriculture industry. Its not about saving the environment. [93], On 17 November there was another farmer's protest in The Hague. A group of farmers in the province of North Holland held talks with two senior officials in the city of [97], On 14 December, dozens of tractors blocked the Jumbo distribution center in Breda for six hours and a dozen farmers also blocked the residence of Jumbo director Frits van Eerd. [41][49][50] This made it the busiest morning rush (hour) in the history of the Netherlands. The current party leader is founder Caroline van der Plas, who has led it since its creation in 2019. Dutch farmers Jetten and fellow politicians responded that, despite the activists' supposedly good intentions, it was highly inappropriate (and even intimidating) to visit the private addresses of politicians you disagree with, unannounced and in the dark of night. Many symbolically held the national flag upside down during the demonstration, which took place ahead of March 15 regional elections and followed similar protests by farmers in Belgium this month over nitrogen emission rules. [62] This was a reaction to the violence the farmers employed in Groningen during previous protests. Geert Wilders was rejected by the leaders of the FDF. Even the radical Farmers Defence Force thought the blockades went too far and discouraged farmers from demonstrating at distribution centers. ", "Dutch farmers clog roads across the Netherlands in third protest", "Angry farmers cause Dutch police to close off parliament square", "Angry Dutch farmers swarm The Hague to protest green rules", "Chaos op de snelwegen: Twentse boeren massaal naar Den Haag", "Boeren voelen zich niet gehoord: 'Het wordt mij onmogelijk gemaakt straks het familiebedrijf over te nemen', "Chaotisch boerenprotest mist eenduidig doel: 'We moeten druk blijven houden, dat is onze tactiek', "Meerderheid heeft begrip voor boerenprotesten, maar wil toch minder stikstofuitstoot", "Sympathie voor boeren kalft af na nieuwe acties", "Boeren radicaliseren en zetten bijval op het spel", "Mensen zijn er klaar mee: kleine meerderheid wil dat boerenprotesten nu echt stoppen", "Licht dalende steun voor boerenprotesten", "Ipsos Peiling: Stikstofcrisis | Oorlog Oekraine | Inflatie", "Meerderheid keurt boerenprotesten van deze week af: puin en hooibalen zetten kwaad bloed", "Peiling: Boerenprotesten | Inflatie | Uitgavenpatroon | Oekrane", "Nederland tweede landbouwexporteur ter wereld", "Klaver tegen boeren: 'Bio-industrie is failliet', "Weer een week vol boerenprotest: een overzicht van de acties | NOS", "Deze boeren leggen uit waarom ze demonstreren: 'Ik zit muurvast door dit beleid', "Schouten tegen protesterende boeren: geen halvering van veestapel", "Continu de angst dat er iets niet klopt: de boer wordt er nerveus en neerslachtig van", "Protest van boeren gaat over trots en willekeur", "Boerenorganisaties vrezen nieuwe acties dierenactivisten", "Groeiende spanning tussen boeren en dierenactivisten: 'We zijn extreem waakzaam', "Trekkers breken door afzetting Malieveld, burgemeester roept driehoek bijeen", "ANWB: Drukste ochtendspits ooit, 1.136 kilometer file door boerenprotest", "Edese initiatiefnemer boerenprotest tevreden: 'Afgesloten A12 is enige kleinigheidje', "Boeren willen schade op Malieveld herstellen", "Minister Schouten belooft boeren: 'Er komt geen halvering van de veestapel', "Friesland trekt stikstofmaatregel in na boerenprotest in provinciehuis", "Drenthe en Overijssel zwichten voor boeren, agressieve acties Groningen", "Boeren bestormen provinciehuis Groningen", "Boeren in Groningen rijden voordeur provinciehuis eruit", "LTO Noord veroordeelt incident boerenprotest Groningen: 'zaak voor politie', "Protestaanvoerder: kabinet wil 'burgeroorlog' - wel.nl", "Leger sluit wegen Den Haag af om boeren bij Binnenhof weg te houden", "Boeren zetten ontbijt klaar, als goedmakertje voor de overlast", "Boze boeren willen Hagenaars een ontbijt aanbieden, maar gaan ook papier dumpen", "Boeren n bouwers voeren in heel Nederland actie bij opritten snelwegen", "Supermarkten: 'dreiging boeren om voedselvoorziening plat te leggen is ernstig', "Boeren plannen nieuwe protestactie: winkels onbereikbaar voor Kerstmis? The unrest among Dutch farmers was triggered by a government proposal to slash emissions of pollutants like nitrogen oxide and ammonia by 50% by 2030. [110], On 29 June, the city of Apeldoorn implemented a state of emergency due to demonstrations and an alleged jailbreak attempt by protestors to free previously arrested activists in custody at the local police station. Weve proposed all kinds of solutions but we are ignored. Nitrogen crisis and farmers' protests. Farmers express fury at government drive to tackle nitrogen pollution through a major reduction in numbers of pigs, cattle and chickens in the Netherlands. [129] Both mayor Jan van Zanen and minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yeilgz-Zegerius emphasized that the farmers were allowed to protest, but without heavy equipment. [66], Farmers Defence Force planned to block food distribution throughout the country in the week before Christmas. ", "Wie is protestboer Mark, met zijn holocaustuitspraken? (modern). An eleventh protester, a minor, is to serve 80 hours of community service. [69] These statements led to both support as well as anger. Relatively large numbers of livestock and heavy use of fertilizers have led to levels of nitrogen oxides in the soil and water in the Netherlands and Belgium that are higher than European Union regulations allow. [82], The second difference is the usage of highways. [185], The new right-wing populist FarmerCitizen Movement (Dutch: BoerBurgerBeweging; BBB) of agricultural journalist and former CDA member Caroline van der Plas achieved major victories in the provincial elections and water board elections on 15 March 2023. Tractors have blockaded roads, and slurry has been dumped at the The protest organizer, Extinction Rebellion, said thousands joined the demonstration in the Hague. But for Dutch farmers, that new direction feels unclear: the government announced the target without specifying how the $25 billion will be distributed, or how provinces will decide who gets to keep their cows, or if there will be involuntary buyouts. [53], In a speech, sheep farmer Bart Kemp said that politicians lack the intelligence of farmers and claimed that the protests were the biggest ever undertaken by farmers in all of history. The Netherlands bold agricultural policy, which tackles multiple environmental problems at once and comes with a $25 billion fund to help provinces and farmers transition, is a promising step, according to Natasja Oerlemans, head of the food team at WWF Netherlands. Meanwhile, other high-polluting industries, such as aviation, construction, and transport, have yet to face such severe environmental rules. farmers [62], 17 October began with the farmers preparing a free breakfast for the inhabitants of The Hague before they hit the road again,[41][63][64] using their tractors to dump used paper at government buildings. [151][152] A deal was struck between the cabinet and the farmers organizations in December, but the collective of builders and farmers would continue their protests. Dutch plan to cut nitrogen emissions gets EU green light Agricultural minister Schouten condemned actions that affected "ordinary people who work and do their grocery shopping" and that the security regions should tackle this. More than 1,500 people have been arrested during a demonstration by the Extinction Rebellion climate group in The Hague, Dutch police said. 31 May 2023 21:32:30 Trump and Le Pen backed these Dutch farmers - CNN International THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) Thousands of farmers and anti-establishment demonstrators protested Saturday in a park in The Hague against Dutch government plans to reduce nitrate emissions, while climate activists angry at what they call state support for the fossil fuel industry broke through police lines and blocked a major [87] This was criticized by farmers because it would be bad for the health of the animals and would lead to lower production. On 7 December, it was announced that "De boer dat is de keerl" was the ninth most voted song, and the top voted song in rural areas such as Twente, Weststellingwerf and Normaal's native Achterhoek region.[79][80]. Protesters are demanding an end to fuel tax exemptions for oil refineries and coal plants, introduced to avoid double taxation, as well as exemptions for the aviation and shipping industries that were agreed at the EU level. By value, its the worlds fourth largest dairy exporter and second largest overall food exporter, after the U.S. [131] The vote was postponed for a month. However, the protest did not take place on the Malieveld in The Hague, because the city of The Hague and Staatsbosbeheer kindly asked them not to. The goal of this legislation was to reduce nitrogen emissions in the short term so that houses could be built to combat the ongoing shortage of affordable housing in the Netherlands. Activists blocked EXPLAINER: Why Are Dutch Farmers Protesting Over 05 July 2022 Violent farmer protests in the Netherlands Dutch farmers have expanded their protests against new regulations aimed at reducing nitrogen oxide Environmentalists led by the climate activist group Extinction Rebellion scaled a wall next to the road they had blocked to hang a banner reading "Stop fossil subsidies". Dutch Nationally, nitrogen pollution must be cut by 50% by 2030, with regions near protected nature reserves expected to cut pollution by 70%. The government sent a mediator to meet with farmers organizations on July 26, in a bid to convince them that the target is workable. Explained: Why Dutch farmers are protesting over emissions This is the only country in the world where manure is regarded as a waste product instead of a valuable source of nutrients and soil health, she says. And because [of the budget], it can allow farmers to take a new direction.. When a new coalition government formed in June this year, they unveiled plans to dramatically accelerate pollution reduction. A country-level reduction of 50% in 2030 is simply unfeasible, and will have disastrous effects on not just agriculture but the economic, social and cultural viability of rural Netherlands, said LTO spokesman Wytse Sonnema. Ultimately only FvD and CDA were allowed by Farmers Defence Force to speech on stage. [29][159] On 13 December, comments made by Farmers Defence Force spokesperson Mark van den Oever, comparing the treatment of farmers to the persecution of Jews during World War II, were widely condemned. We know we have to do something about nitrogen, but not in this top-down way, and not at this speed, she says. [92], When D66 leader Rob Jetten was in home quarantine because of a COVID infection, five members of Farmers Defence Force made an unannounced late-night visit to his private home to offer him a food package.