Agricultural sector mobilises as Copenhagen advances new nitrogen and pesticide rules
Denmark’s main farmers’ organisation is convening a general meeting on Monday over proposed fertiliser and pesticide rules which it says are rushed and could leave growers out of pocket.
The legislation would impose limits on nitrogen reaching waterways and ban pesticide spraying in vulnerable groundwater recharge areas. Parliament is due to vote on the new nitrogen rules on Thursday.
The dispute is testing the consensus established by the historic 2024 Agreement on a Green Denmark, which brought farmers, government, industry and environmental groups together around a common goal of making Danish agriculture more sustainable.
It also comes after Denmark became the only EU country without a dedicated agriculture ministry in June, leaving the sector without a dedicated minister at the cabinet table. The change followed an election campaign in which the environmental impact of the country’s large pig-farming industry was a major issue.
