Will efforts to stop nitrogen pollution harm farmers? | Inside Story

Agriculture accounts for nearly 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions that are harming our environment.
And as the world tries to cut back on pollutants, people's source of food could be affected.
The excess gas often goes into waterways and contaminates drinking supplies.
The Netherlands is one of many nations that's been taking measures to reduce its Nitrogen pollution and a number of farms may have to be closed down.
And that has angered many Dutch farmers who protested against the plan
So what will this mean for the future of farming in the Netherlands and elsewhere?

Presenter: Kim Vinell

Guests:

Sjaak van der Tak - Former Mayor of Westland, Netherlands and Chairman of the Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association.

Hilde Anna de Vries - Campaigner for Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity at Greenpeace Netherlands.

Richard Tiffin, Former Director of the Centre for Food Security at the University of Reading and Chief Scientific Officer at Agrimetrics.

[cliffordreinhart]

78% of our atmosphere is made of nitrogen and 21% oxygen

[TheRealHempress]

I would be more impressed with Al Jazeera if they called out who the culprits are and what their purpose is. EU and WEF wants this farmland to take over the food sources globally, using the "green" as a guise.

[Drainman]

Nitrogen gas is a large percent of the earths atmosphere it is also used to preserve food like in potato chip bags as it is an inert gas.Nitrates caused by fertilizers and animal and human waste is a totally different thing.If a Government was to Plant Nitrate removing trees like the Hybrid Poplar that has its roots thirty feet into the ground water then that would be a start.Also any Hard Wood Chips will absorb nitrogen and nitrates and when saturated can be recycled or used a a fertilizer or for heating..It all seems very simple the only thing missing is that there is no money to be made on the cure as all the money goes to the problem.

[artbenevo]

This is lunacy. Why have we allowed these people to make decisions for us?

[tonybroomfield]

Control oil and you control nations; control food and you control people. — Henry Kissinger

[berizdrav]

Nitrogen + Oxygen = Air everybody breaths... So, explain me how nitrogen is bad???

[oldhippygal]

I saw a video recently, saying that farmers in the Netherlands used to have an organic substance that they spread over their crops, once harvested, to keep them fresh for months. But the EU stopped them from using it. All the food that’s wasted in the world, and they do that? 🤦🏻‍♀️

[markrice]

And I guess all the rotting carcasses from all the people who starved will not be a global pollution problem?

[Anoncore]

The nazie don’t wear Hugo’s anymore ? The world is just about had enough, this is going to be a world wide civil war .

[marvinrichards]

Can we say with 100 percent accuracy that what is currently going on, what we call global warming is not a regular cycle in our earth history. You have different cycle that affect the earth climate such as the milankovic cycle. Also, remember that it’s the heat that are trap in the atmosphere that keep us warm. Can be a case that if we reduce global warming too much it can trigger a next cycle where the earth start to become colder.

[skisavoie]

Nitrogen is NOT a greenhouse gas! Unbelievably bad reporting and greenwashing!!!

[laconja]

Someone commented who lives in the Netherlands says they want to take the farmers land to build more house because there is a shortage of housing there in the Netherlands

[CasperLabuschagne]

As consumers we can support the farmers by eating meat, drinking milk and promoting a carnivorous diet that eliminates many of the Western lifestyle ailments such as obesity and diabetes that is affecting millions. A diet consisting primarily of processed wheat or cereal based products is not a healthy diet.

[ifixxifixx]

ah come on! u ask a member of greenpeace as an expert. They use the same wrong arguments and the same wrong data..they don't look at the big industries. And only in the Netherlands there is a nitrogen problem. The most harse standards for nitrogen they use. In the neighbour Germany there is not any problem at all. . It's completely bullock!

[abcdxyz]

Whats the plan though? With world food supply already under stress due to Nato expansionism in Ukraine and Russia, drought and now destroying farming in EU largest food exporter? Whats the plan?

[alesul]

Huh? Isn't air like 79% Nitrogen? How is it a pollutant? I can understand fertilisers polluting water

[chris-mgui]

I wonder what the environmentalists will eat, when all the farmers have gone out of business

[maxtrein]

Thank you for reporting on this. Most media keep this quiet.

[crhu]

10:20 90% reduction vs 40% reduction based on unproven tech *innovations" and big infrastructure shifts. The world is eating far less meat and dairy anyway, and the liabilities of both are astonishing.

[darrelllang]

You know if Bill Gates is involved in any way, You better take a hard. Look at it and find a good replacement.