Last year’s farmer protests prompted von der Leyen to launch a “strategic dialogue” with the agriculture sector — one that while heavy on green promises, has so far yielded a legislative shift emphasizing income security and global competitiveness. Meanwhile, the EU looks set to loosen more green requirements on farmers, as governments across the spectrum embrace softer rules to ease pressure on farmers and public administrations alike.
Even Denmark’s climate credibility isn’t immune to scrutiny. Critics of the Green Tripartite Agreement argue the agricultural carbon tax is too modest to drive systemic change — it starts at just 120 kroner (€16) per metric ton in 2030, rising to 300 kroner by 2035, less than half the industrial rate.
Others point to its heavy reliance on voluntary measures and unproven technologies like biochar — the production of black carbon from biomass — and methane inhibitors. Still others argue that it risks punishing farmers who have set about reducing their emissions through other means.
“It’s a start, not a solution,” said one senior EU diplomat familiar with the file. “Denmark has credibility on green agriculture, but selling that model to 26 other countries will be a much harder job.”
Not so united front
Denmark finds itself politically isolated on green agricultural policy, according to Alan Matthews, professor emeritus of European agricultural policy at Trinity College Dublin. While it has taken the lead in tackling farming emissions, most other governments are reluctant to follow.
Ireland, another heavy agricultural emitter, is scrambling to meet its climate targets without tanking its dairy and meat industries. Germany now has a conservative-led government with little appetite for green experimentation. Even at home, right-wing parties have questioned the climate tax, with farmers warning of job losses and production leakage.