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In the Netherlands, nitrogen pollution levels are so alarming that a court ruling has forced the government to bring them down. But the planned reduction in farm size has sparked anger among farmers.
In the Netherlands, home of Gouda and Edam cheeses, the countryside, forests and rivers are among the most polluted in the world due to nitrogen emitted by intensive agriculture. The rates are so alarming that a court decision has just forced the government to bring them down quickly. By deciding to limit the size of farms, the authorities have angered farmers. No more gigantic cow factories!
Intensive agriculture: an economic model in danger?
Faced with these new constraints, some farmers are selling their land to relocate all their livestock to Germany. Others are trying to find solutions to continue producing milk and meat without polluting the air and soil. Can the economic model of the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products be jeopardized by a decision to protect the environment? Could the new regulations in Holland one day inspire the French authorities?
A report by Kristian Autain, Francis Simoës, Guillaume Marque, and Bruno Maruani broadcast In “Special Envoy” March 2, 2023.
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