Flemish farmers in mass demo against nitrogen emission cuts
Farmers WeeklyMar 06, 2023
Thousands of Belgian farmers brought traffic in Brussels to a standstill on Friday as they protested the Flemish regional government's plans to limit nitrogen emissions from agriculture. Thousands of tractors and other agricultural vehicles blocked roads leading into the capital city, while protesters also set fire to dozens of tires at a busy intersection.
As many as 2.7K tractors jammed up the streets of Brussels, according to the police. The demonstrating farmers said that the nitrogen agreement "will cause a socio-economic carnage" and put many farmers out of business; the protestors want the agreement to better reflect future prospects for the farm sector.
The EU's Industrial Emissions Directive aims at reducing pollution from cattle, pigs, and poultry factory farms and is essential to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. Requiring these giants of industrial livestock farming to obtain a pollution permit would be a step toward more sustainable food systems.
Curbing nitrogen emissions on farms by limiting the use of nitrogen fertilizers and slashing livestock numbers will put 5K jobs at risk in agriculture and 15K indirect jobs. This nitrogen plan, which follows EU legislation, will create a socio-economic bloodbath. That is why this tractor action is necessary. The proposed cuts will put many farmers out of business.