Europe's Struggle with Farming and Pesticide Regulations
Farmer protests in Europe have led to the abandonment of an ambitious bill to reduce chemical pesticide use and softened recommendations on cutting agricultural pollution by the European Union, highlighting the challenge of making farming more climate-friendly. With agriculture accounting for 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, dramatic changes are necessary to meet ambitious climate targets, but farmers argue they are being hit by high costs and unfair competition. The political difficulty of changing farming practices is evident as parliamentary elections approach, with farming being a potent force and marker of European identity.