Close to the RIVM office in the Biltse Rading, the Farmers Defense Force (FDF) demonstration this afternoon was not primarily aimed at the scientific staff of this institute, but at the government. "The computing institute allows itself to be manipulated by the government", was the purport of some speakers.
Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management in particular was portrayed as the evil genius, who forces Minister Schouten to give up nitrogen space from livestock farming, so that the rest of the Netherlands can grow.
"Politics abuses RIVM. Their scientific employees should not allow themselves to be used by the government to rearrange figures in a way that supports government policy. That is not scientific. It is understandable if your job is at stake." This was the tenor of contributions such as those of scientist and hobby farmer Evert Mouw, who calculated the AERIUS nitrogen calculation model and exposed errors.
# farmer protest Own images.
— Alternative Media Netherlands (@RevolutieNL) July 22, 2020
On the way home now. pic.twitter.com/vI4tW18C39
Measure with two measures
The EenVandaag broadcast was also mentioned repeatedly, in which it is shown that RIVM uses two standards when calculating nitrogen emissions. The damage to nature as a result of aircraft movements is calculated very differently from that of livestock farms. And for highways, the opposite reasoning applies to livestock farming. Ammonia from livestock farming can have consequences hundreds of kilometers away and that must be accurately calculated, but the same RIVM scientists calculate the burden of the NOx emissions caused by traffic up to 5 kilometers away from the highway.
Speaker Johan Vollenbroek, who participated in the program digitally on a large screen, claimed to have been the basis of this EenVandaag broadcast. According to him, his Mobilization for the Environment organization (MOB) provided the data with which it could be demonstrated that RIVM measures with different measures.
Farmers deserve all the support they need to get this nitrogen policy off the table. It rattles on all sides. You are right that you do not want to hand over your company and your existence to that. For those who are interested, enclosed my speech on the # farmer protest this afternoon in Bilthoven. pic.twitter.com/Z4zaECAexI
— Aalt Dijkhuizen (@AaltDijkhuizen) July 22, 2020
Moving with society
The presenter of the program took the opportunity to ask Vollenbroek not to make public the so-called PAS reporters, according to Vollenbroek 4.000 in number. Together, the FDF and MOB want to fight for a just government that does not cheat with numbers, but then the PAS reporter issue must first be cleared up, he was asked. Partly due to the faltering livestream connection, Vollenbroek's redeeming word, however, did not come out.
That was not his most important mission with his contribution to the program, described by the program leader as a meeting between opposites that shows that the conversation continues despite everything. Vollenbroek emphasized in his speech that livestock farming should move out of defensive positions and formulate policy based on different economic relationships and changing consumer behaviour. He observes that society is 'veganising' at a rapid pace and, according to him, this is not without consequences for livestock farming.
The injustice done to Dutch farmers by this minister @carolaschouten # farmer protest pic.twitter.com/X4FpuGkUh0
— jos coolen (@kiepeboer) July 22, 2020
Ban unsustainable imports
Vollenbroek, however, finds FDF on his side in his appeal to fight for a level playing field in the agricultural trade, inside and outside Europe. Together to Brussels to present a good plan that makes European agriculture more sustainable, protects nature and the climate and that better balances supply and demand, was his appeal. "Trump is flouting the free trade rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is time for the European Union to do the same, so that the production conditions that you have to meet also apply to the products that (from outside the EU) be imported."
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