10 OCTOBER 2022 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM

BY SHANE WENZEL | SHANE HOMES

Dutch farmers are fighting for their farms and their livelihood. For weeks they blockaded highways, streets, food warehouses and government buildings with tractors, trucks, hay bales and manure. The Dutch government is imposing new ‘new green’ policies that they acknowledge will put many farmers out of business. All this on the pretext of protecting the environment.

Farmers will face fines and rigid restrictions on their use of fertilizer. Many are being ordered to drastically cull their cattle herds; shockingly by 25 to 95 per cent. Their proposals for tackling nitrogen emissions require a radical cut in livestock. Estimates are that 11,200 farms will have to close and another almost 18,000 farmers will have to significantly reduce their livestock.

Although this ongoing Dutch farmer protest is capturing the most world media coverage the entire European Union’s net zero mandates are sparking massive tractor convoys in numerous other European countries. Coming on the heels of the devastating impact of the COVID lockdowns, Holland’s new farm mandates threaten to destroy many Dutch farmers, who are the most innovative and productive farmers in Europe and the continent’s largest agricultural exporters. It is quickly becoming obvious, that the WEF and the UN are singing from the same song sheet when it comes to controlling global “food systems. ” Their plans for control do not bode well for human life and freedom on this planet.

Will Canada be next? It appears it just might be. Ottawa has decided it too would jump on the fashionable net- zero bandwagon by proposing a 30 per cent reduction in nitrogen fertilizer. Understandably, this discussion has caused Dutch-style fears by Canadian farmers.

Clearly such draconian nitrogen cuts would devastate the farm sector and have dire consequences for food availability and food costs. Canadian farmers produce and export much of the world’s grain products, peas, beans, lentils, soybeans, beef, pork and apples. Reducing fertilizer by 30 per cent will easily reduce profitability to the farmers and impair their ability to stay in business. While no mention of tractors taking to the streets in Canada have been heard, it is not impossible.

There is talk among American farmers to strongly protest as the net-zero policies keep biting deeper. This war on our farmers appear to be an extension of a larger battle because we like to eat. Food prices are already exploding and adding to the growing inflation problem. What will a reduction in supply bring?

People are learning that under inflation they are already paying 12 months of bills with 11 months of income. Saskatchewan recently introduced provincial jurisdiction over its natural resources under the Saskatchewan First Act, with the intention of protecting the economic growth and prosperity for the people of Saskatchewan. This jurisdiction includes the right to explore non-renewable resources, operate sites to produce electrical energy, regulation of fertilizer use, application, production, quantities and emissions. We should watch their success closely.

Could Canada handle another convoy? Would it be as poorly handled as the Trucker Convoy? However, as we go into our fifth week of investigation into the government handling of the Convoy, it appears the convoy protestors are easily winning more population support than the invoking of the Emergency Act.