Netherlands: Dutch farmers protest against nitrogen plan

 Due to its intensive agriculture, the Netherlands has the highest nitrogen emissions in Europe. As a result, Dutch forests and rivers are among the most polluted in the world. EU environmental standards dictate that the Dutch government must reduce the presence of this chemical element in the soil. The idea is to get farmers to reduce the number of cattle, pigs and chickens they keep. However, these plans have been put on hold following large-scale protests by farmers.