Saving biodiversity at a cost: Dutch farmers fight against emissions regulations

The Netherlands' Veluwe nature reserve, to the east of Amsterdam, is a vast expanse of heathland and wooded groves. 

The area is protected under an EU conservation initiative, and at first glance, it seems to be an unspoiled haven for wildlife. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a less idyllic reality. 

Veluwe is an area saturated with ammonia and nitrogen, primarily coming from surrounding farmland. The coarse grass that covers the park thrives due to pollution, but it is choking more fragile species and destroying biodiversity.

Back in The Hague, the political landscape is going through its own painful transition, as the government squabbles over plans to reduce nitrogen emissions.

Euronews’ Hans von der Brelie has been to the Netherlands to bring you this story.

The agricultural sector is responsible for more than half of the Netherlands’ nitrogen emissions, meaning that farmers are a key player in this debate. 

In 2019, the country’s highest administrative court found that the state’s plan did not meet EU targets, meaning efforts to curb nitrogen have since intensified. 

Prime Minister Mark Rutte hopes to halve these emissions by 2030 and farmers currently face the prospect of forced buyouts if their farms are considered ‘too polluting’.

Omgo Nieweg, a farmer in Holland's northern village of Adorp, has participated in protests against the state’s new strategy. 

"The problem is that the Dutch government doesn’t give us a clear perspective for the future. But we need perspective to carry on with our work," he told Euronews.

The government has earmarked €7.5 billion for the buyout scheme, part of a larger €24.3 billion plan, but this is awaiting EU approval.

Eddie van Marum is a representative of the farmers' protest party,