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.
Real Madrid adapts to Champions League needs: Shock and awe one week, armadillo defense the next
Hundreds fined, cars impounded at weekend street race meet
Want a healthy dog? Vets reveal the 10 extreme body conformations owners should AVOID including flat
McDonald's is dishing out Chicken McNuggets at a discounted price
Nursery worker accused of killing a nine
Piece of 5,800lb battery pallet tossed from NASA's ISS crashes through Florida home
I'm from Texas and live in the UK, these are all the weird things I've found about British people
My friend turned up to my wedding as a surprise, took four pizzas and had sex with my sister
Free Cone Day is back at Ben & Jerry's
I'm from Texas and live in the UK, these are all the weird things I've found about British people
LMC becomes effective model of win
How Christopher Nolan couldn't have won his first Oscar without his family's support