ANDEREN, Netherlands (AP) — Inside the barn on the flat fields of the northern Netherlands, Jos Ubels cradles a newborn Blonde d’Aquitaine calf, the latest addition to his herd of over 300 dairy cattle. Little could be more idyllic. Little, says Ubels, could be more under threat. As Europe seeks to address the threat of climate change, it’s imposing more rules on farmers like Ubels. He spends a day a week on bureaucracy, answering the demands of European Union and national officials who seek to decide when farmers can sow and reap, and how much fertilizer or manure they can use. Meanwhile, competition from cheap imports is undercutting prices for their produce, without having to meet the same standards. Mainstream political parties failed to act on farmers’ complaints for decades, Ubels says. Now the radical right is stepping in. Across much of the 27-nation EU, from Finland to Greece, Poland to Ireland, farmers’ discontent is gathering momentum as June EU parliamentary elections draw near. |
Preserving worldXi's article calls on young officials to shoulder mission of the timesChinese vice premier calls for rule of data for sustainable developmentOver 1.61 mln people sign support for HKSAR district governance reformXi extends congratulations to National University of Defense Technology on 70th anniversaryMexican president accuses U.S., Canada of ambiguous stance on EcuadorChinese vice premier stresses flood safety, manufacturing innovationXi stresses greater efforts to build beautiful Xinjiang in pursuing Chinese modernizationXi leads China in boosting tech selfState Council stresses work on flood relief, rebuilding