Farmers across Europe are engaging in large scale protests against both European regulations and those of their own countries. Close to 900 tractors broke through barriers and then blocked streets near the European Parliament building in Brussels. (Déjà vu Ottawa?) The farmers are calling for an end to trade agreements, a minimum price for their products, a reduction in bureaucratic paperwork and significant changes to the Green Deal from the European Union. In each country there are also local conditions. In Germany the cost of fuel is an issue and in Poland, it's cheap Ukrainian imports.They claim the regulations favour corporate farms and that these farms are actually generating the most pollution. The European Parliament has delayed some regulations being implemented and made exceptions, but they have not voted out the current Green Deal regulations. Local ministers are trying to convince farmers that if they go along with the Green Deal, they will make more money. Certainly, politicians know more about farming than farmers... It appears the move is trying to take the pressure off, but not actually deal with, the underlying problems as illustrated in Sri Lanka. Cheap food from non-European countries means that even with subsidies, farms have difficulties making ends meet. These international agreements favour the globalists and cost farmers.Sri Lanka is still trying to recover from their economic collapse a couple of years ago. The country was growing a surplus in food and this made a solid foundation for its total economy. The government implemented the UN agriculture policies which focused on a ban for synthetic fertilizer and pesticides. The ban was put in place by the president even though he was warned of the consequences. In short order there wasn’t enough food for the local population.In 2022, Trudeau’s government began the process of bringing the UN agriculture policies to Canadian farmers. The government said it simply wants to reduce nitrous oxide. The farmers replied that that was not possible without reducing fertilizer. More dodgy language from Ottawa. And as in Sri Lanka, no flexibility. Trudeau has stated the program will be voluntary but released internal documents show that discussions were had on making it mandatory.Like much that comes out of the UN, the policies will economically benefit the well-connected, globalists and the super-rich who want to control everything from field to fork. A sound environmental policy would favour local over national and international and allow for human prosperity. More research, not more regulations is in order. It requires innovation not top-down over management. Canadian farmers are proven excellent stewards but what do they know about farming in comparison to politicians in Ottawa?Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests
Farmers across Europe are engaging in large scale protests against both European regulations and those of their own countries. Close to 900 tractors broke through barriers and then blocked streets near the European Parliament building in Brussels. (Déjà vu Ottawa?) The farmers are calling for an end to trade agreements, a minimum price for their products, a reduction in bureaucratic paperwork and significant changes to the Green Deal from the European Union. In each country there are also local conditions. In Germany the cost of fuel is an issue and in Poland, it's cheap Ukrainian imports.They claim the regulations favour corporate farms and that these farms are actually generating the most pollution. The European Parliament has delayed some regulations being implemented and made exceptions, but they have not voted out the current Green Deal regulations. Local ministers are trying to convince farmers that if they go along with the Green Deal, they will make more money. Certainly, politicians know more about farming than farmers... It appears the move is trying to take the pressure off, but not actually deal with, the underlying problems as illustrated in Sri Lanka. Cheap food from non-European countries means that even with subsidies, farms have difficulties making ends meet. These international agreements favour the globalists and cost farmers.Sri Lanka is still trying to recover from their economic collapse a couple of years ago. The country was growing a surplus in food and this made a solid foundation for its total economy. The government implemented the UN agriculture policies which focused on a ban for synthetic fertilizer and pesticides. The ban was put in place by the president even though he was warned of the consequences. In short order there wasn’t enough food for the local population.In 2022, Trudeau’s government began the process of bringing the UN agriculture policies to Canadian farmers. The government said it simply wants to reduce nitrous oxide. The farmers replied that that was not possible without reducing fertilizer. More dodgy language from Ottawa. And as in Sri Lanka, no flexibility. Trudeau has stated the program will be voluntary but released internal documents show that discussions were had on making it mandatory.Like much that comes out of the UN, the policies will economically benefit the well-connected, globalists and the super-rich who want to control everything from field to fork. A sound environmental policy would favour local over national and international and allow for human prosperity. More research, not more regulations is in order. It requires innovation not top-down over management. Canadian farmers are proven excellent stewards but what do they know about farming in comparison to politicians in Ottawa?Dr. A.W. Barber is the former Director of Asian Studies at the University of Calgary. He is internationally active and has wide-ranging interests
