For a long time, climate change was far away, at least from a German point of view: melting Polkappenund glaciers do not affect us directly, one might think. This summer, however, Germany experienced a severe drought, last year it rained too much. There is much to be said about fact that such wear extremes become more common with increasing global warming. Farmers Alsdie first German victims of climate change can be seen.
Neverless, many of m have more Häme than understanding. Farmers mselves have contributed to climate change, y have not secured mselves sufficiently against it, and now y have also kept ir hands on Hörtman, which is often case at present. Neverless, Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) has now promised m 340 million euros in emergency aid. Rightly so – because DieKritikerinnen and critics of peasants make it too easy.
The industrialized agriculture, among or things, contributes a lot of fertilizer to greenhouse effect through and of livestock farming. But sustainable agriculture alone could not stop dieglobale global warming. Farmers are in same dilemma as posters: we know what is damaging to climate, and we are always repressing it again and again. Yes, many farmers fertilize too much. But many of us also regularly get on plane, yet mehressen ir sausage sandwich every night.
Most people just do something about threats that are imminent, and nothing against something as abstract as GlobaleErwärmung – or against fact that pension could not be enough in 30 years. Therefore, it's hypocritical to blame farmers now main culprit in man-made climate change and or industries and mselves.
Sprinkling is expensiveBut would peasants not at least have had to prepare aufWetterextreme better? After all, climate research has predicted for decades that climate change will also make it more frequent and more violent with us. And artificial irrigation is not a Hexenwerk.So it is unfortunately not easy. Farmers cannot pour demGartenschlauch, y need complex irrigation systems – and Theymust to finance m first. As it has rarely been so dry so long, many have postponed investment.
Ors would like to invest, but fail to you access to groundwater, and imZweifelsfall waterworks next door – rightly so – gets priority. In addition, farmers do not only have to adjust to drought, but also to too much rainfall, as in past year. If it rains too much, expensive Bewässerungsanlagenauf flooded fields.
Farmers can zwarversichern against some extreme wear conditions, for example against storms and hail. But insurance against Trockenheitsind is considerably more expensive and, so farmers say, hardly affordable. DiePolitik could help here. But this also costs – and not even, as now DieNothilfen, but permanently.
Drought federal government says farmer's emergency aid to Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner has announced financial support of up to 170 million euros. The federal funds complement support of Länder. © Photo: Kay Riveter/dpa Difficult business agricultureHowever, what has so far increased farmers ' than climate change is pressure on prices. Food is much cheaper in Germany: In only eight states, people spend an even lower proportion of ihresEinkommens for food. Milk for 61 cents per liter makes it denBauern not exactly easy to manage climate-friendly and to make money for difficult or necessary investments.
Yes, farmers are also business people, and businesses are taking risks. But in hardly any trade conditions are so difficult. And y're is becoming increasingly difficult due to climate change. Farmers are only partly responsible for this.
That is why it is right that federal government wants to help you now. This support – In addition to EU subsidies – will remain an isolated case mussjedoch. This must be einigesändern in agriculture: it must in future be climate-friendly economies and better adjust to extreme wear events.
Politics can and should help, for example with Zuschüssenzu irrigation systems, by granting tax relief for reserves, or through an EU agricultural policy that guides farmers towards more climate protection. Equally struggling, however, farmers need discernment of customers that Landwirtschaftein is partly unpredictable business and that good food has its price. At moment we do not pay all of m at supermarket cashier. Aberüber our taxes.
Date Of Update: 23 August 2018, 12:00
