The contested Dutch action group “Farmers Defence Force” (FDF) will soon have a Belgian section, dairy farmer and new leader Bart Dickens, confirmed, with a first protest against nitrogen regulations to take place later this month.
“We are in the final stage of setting up the association,” says Bart Dickens, a farmer in Arendonk. “Then we will start recruiting members. On 27 May we are planning a first action.” Bart Dickens says the new, stricter nitrogen rules are making his and many colleagues’ work impossible.
He estimates that he would not be able to use half of his 150 cows because of the new regulations, which are meant to reduce nitrogen emissions that are harmful to nature and the environment.
Belgian farmers expressed discontent with the proposed nitrogen policy by taking to the streets earlier this year. Over 2,700 farmers drove their tractors to Brussels, blocking traffic in the capital
The Belgian FDF claims to be politically independent. The establishment costs of the association were covered by the Dutch FDF. Eventually, they want to set up local councils in each province.
In the North of the country, the slurry plan and the recognition of national parks such as Kalmthoutse Heide have already angered farmers for some time.
The manure plan includes a series of measures to restrict the use of fertilisers and, as a result, the flow of fertilisers into groundwater and watercourses.
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The recognition of national parks has angered farmers who worry about the implications of such plans on their operations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a national park as a natural or near-natural area whose purpose is to protect its ecosystem while allowing spiritual, recreational, scientific or educational visits.
At the moment, the FDF cannot say more about the action on 27 May.
Last year, the FDF in the Netherlands also mobilised to oppose the government's nitrogen-reducing policy. Using civil disobedience tactics since 2019, the Dutch FDF has blocked public roads, occupied public spaces, and set hay on fire.
