ANALYSIS: Europe’s Farmer Protests a Warning as Ottawa Looks to Cut Cattle Emissions

As Ottawa eyes Canadian farms and cattle as a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to be quelled, the European experience is a cautionary tale. In Europe, policies that impact farming operations, including the Netherlands’ plan to massively reduce livestock to cut down emissions, have led to widespread protests. Other European countries are also pondering whether to greatly reduce their number of cattle—Ireland considered culling up to 200,000 dairy cows—to prevent GHG emissions. When cows pass gas, they release methane, and their dung and urine emit nitrogen. Therefore, fewer cows equals fewer emissions, say policy-makers. Dutch farmers famously drove their tractors en masse to The Hague—the seat of the Dutch Parliament—for multiple protests in recent years. A newly formed farmer’s party saw resounding success in March’s provincial elections, which gave it more seats than any other party in the Senate. And the winner of November’s national election, Geert Wilders, has vowed to axe climate policies....