Mass Protest in the Netherlands by Farmers.

It`s not just as simple as farmers changing with the times though. It`s about the greens ideology attempting to change the market to conform to their ideology without even the basic research or foresight to see what that may end up causing.

We have all heard what the war in Ukraine is causing with their annual 20 million tonnes of wheat grain now not being exported. What we have heard very little of is that due to the 2019 green driven ban on certain pesticide, farmers in the EU have moved away from planting certain crops, one of them being wheat. Last year in the EU 700,000 ha less of wheat was planted. That is 11 million tonnes less of wheat grain, So it is not just the Russian who have lowered European wheat grain exports, green ideology has played its part as well.

Global climate change is an issue, but driving an ideology that causes global famine and the collapse of states is not going to help globally We can already see that from Sri Lanka. It may not have been all the issues that have caused what we are seeing their, but when you go with the green ideology of organic farming and within a year go from self sufficient in a staple food like rice to having to import rice it certainly didn`t help. Neithe the lower yields from all other crops.

Across all crops farming organically gives a 16% lower yield. That, and it being more labour intensive, will increase the price accordingly. On the mid fertility range the global population is expected to increase by 50% by 2050, primarily in Africa and Asia. Many of the countries in those regions cannot feed themselves as they are. This idea that they can somehow do that farming organically is absolute nonsense. Link that to a green agenda that by the stroke of a pen cut European wheat grain exports by 55% of that caused by a Russian war, and it is even greater nonsense.

It`s not even the lack of basic research and foresight with green ideology. The level of hypocrisy is staggering on many levels. For Ireland alone in just agriculture it`s plain to see. We, a member of the EU, export 1.44 billion euro worth of beef to the EU. Brazil exports 544 million euro worth. 55% of our exports by price, but fair to say I believe much more by volume. Brazil raises these cattle by burning down the Amazon, has well documented much laxer veterinary regulations, not least of the movement of cattle from areas infected with diseases such as foot and mouth to areas supposedly clear to clean up the export paperwork, and then loads this meat on ships to travel half way around the world. If the Irish Green Party has any belief in the ideology they are spouting then it is hypocrisy of the highest order, where rather than attempting to cut our herds, not to be pointing out that we can provide that meat to the EU with a much lower carbon footprint. So why are they not doing that rather than their utmost, to not just wreck our economy generally, but our agricultural sector as part of that. ?

But if that ideology forces decisions that in all likelihood produce more GHGs, drive small indigenous/family business out of that business/favour more consolidation and large business interests and reduce EU citizens food security then what merit has it? .....They seem to be actively pursuing a strategy that ensures more of the grain needs to be imported rather than incentivising less heads raised extensively and allowed come fit naturally.....that would be a sensible step towards tidying our backyard and not causing many more problems than they solve.

Imo hey don't seem to think too hard about their ideology and are useful fools...or they have thought and there are financial incentives etc

I mean they can't think if we stop eating meat here then developing nations will follow suit.....like they aped us with baby formula?......I mean we have canines as well as molars, we are omnivores....meateaters aren't going away imo......and if they did with a rapidly increasing population wouldn't the additional replacement crops that need to be grown be most likely grown using intensive tillage methods/need pesticides to get required yields etc while impoverishing soil.....

Their whole approach seems rooted in ideology without any forethought or brain involved......unless they are on the take which I doubt......just insulated ideologues with a dogma that's ironically potentially more destructive to thing they want to preserve....

Not sure what my personal actions have to do with anything and you have no idea how much I consume or how I live. If you live in the middle of nowhere as opposed to in the middle of a city it doesn't mean you consume less. Drive through rural Ireland and look at the enormous mansions all over the landscape with two or three cars in the driveways, not sure how that's better than renting a 1 bed apartment in the city.

Your personal actions speak to your sincerity and seriousness and true motivations. If you are living a high-consumption lifestyle you are literally killing the Earth, according to yourself.

My point is there is no serious homesteading movement or similar alternative as far as I can see.

Do you grow your own food, weave your own clothes, abjure wasteful consumer goods etc.?

Where are the people passionate enough about this issue that they take action themselves? Why do Governments need to impose anything on *them* (climate activists)?

You could form your own local economy with like-minded friends. You could pool money to buy a cottage and a few acres etc.

In reality climate activists' contributions are often things like calling for the government to dismantle car-based transport infrastructure while they themselves live within cycling distance of Dublin city centre.

Top-down impositions of sacrifices for other people combined with zero sacrifice on their own part.

What's nonsense is you thinking that forcing farmers to change how they farm won't come at a significant cost and that these significant new costs won't bankrupt some farmers.

Changing how they farm will drive up costs significantly, and not just for the farmers, but for consumers too.

Today a frozen chicken in Tesco is approx. €3/kg. An organic chicken in Tesco is approx. €9/kg.

Are you willing for some of your foodstuffs to increase in price by a minimum of 300%?

You appear to believe that organic farming is the answer to all problems, The New York Times link show just what it has done for Sri Lanka.

Organic farming across all crops reduces yield by 16%. In some such as tea, a large export source of revenue for Sri Lanka it is even greater. Same for rice a staple diet in Sri Lanka where before going organic they were self sufficient, where as now due to lower yields they have to import rice.

But even leaving aside Sri Lanka and what green based policy in the EU has resulted in from just a pesticide ban in 2019 that has resulted in this year 11 million tonnes less of wheat grain being produced, as well as drops in the sugar beet, rape seed crops etc. being likewise, the mathematics of organic farming do not stand up to scrutiny. Especially for countries that at present are just scrapping by in feeding their population, (some not even able to do that), in Africa and Asia where the forecast rise in global population of 50% between now and 2050 is forecast to be even greater than 50%.

As Sri Lanka shows the crops such countries depend on as a staple food and foods for export have a much lower yield farmed organically than the average of 16%. But not to split hairs, lets say all yields will be that average. That means just to stand still you must grow 16% more. That requires 16% more land, more labour in-put and will result in higher prices. For some perhaps manageable, for others most likely not, but where you are really heading for trouble though is when those populations increase by even the minimum 50% by 2050. By then they would require not just an additional 50% more arable land to grow staple diet crops using the present conventional means, but 74% more arable land to grow it organically, and that`s without even touching on the need for crop rotation when growing organically to stop the soil fertility decreasing even lower that results in growing crops that people do not want. Can you see that as viable, not just for those countries but globally, and in case you are tempted, spare me the "If we all stopped eating meat" line as that is not going to happen. ?

It`s a green global wet dream like much of their ideology that has neither sense nor foresight.

You appear to believe that organic farming is the answer to all problems, The New York Times link show just what it has done for Sri Lanka

Nope, I clearly stated they need to unshackle their complete reliance on a foreign commodity.

Until they do that they will be "self sufficient" in fúck all, evidenced by what just happened there.

Sri Lanka is a commonwealth member, the head of which is Lizzy.

What ideas?