Mark Whitehouse, Columnist

Europe’s Green Deal Has Been a Raw Deal for Farmers

The EU’s leaders should learn from their mistakes, rather than sacrificing the environment.

March 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM UTC

Mark Whitehouse is a member of the editorial board covering global economics and finance. Previously, he reported on economics for the Wall Street Journal and was managing editor of Vedomosti, a Russian-language business daily.

Fed up.
Photographer: Alex Halada/AFP/Getty Images

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When the European Union embarked on its Green Deal, Paule Lucht had good reason to believe that the initiative would benefit his family’s small organic farm, located in the former East German state of Saxony. The Luchts generate solar energy, grow diverse crops, make space for fauna to flourish, use no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and sell locally — all crucial for supporting biodiversity and combating climate change.

Yet when new green rules for agriculture started to take effect in 2023, his faith gave way to frustration — driving him to join a surging protest movement that threatened to shift Europe’s politics in a dangerous direction.