The Danish government introduced a carbon tax that penalizes farmers for livestock emissions.
As of 2030, livestock farmers will be taxed 300 kroner, or $43 U.S. dollars, for each ton of carbon dioxide. By 2030, the tax will increase to $108 U.S. for each ton of carbon dioxide.
ABC News reported that because of an income tax deduction of 60%, the “actual cost per ton will start at 120 kroner ($17.3) and increase to 300 kroner by 2035.”
Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus said that gas emissions will be reduced by 70% by 2030 from their 1990 levels, noting that the effort is a “big step closer in becoming climate neutral in 2045.”
Economy Minister Stephanie Lose shared on social media earlier this week that the move is an “agreement which will form the basis for a historic reorganization and restructuring of Denmark’s land and food production,” according to a translation.
The move comes as Danish farmers have continually protested against climate initiatives.
Despite claims that livestock contributes to methane emissions in the atmosphere, a recent study found that the cattle grazing cycle mitigates climate change.
Without cattle grazing, wetland soils release greater amounts of methane, research from agribusiness groups Alltech and Archbold explained.
Dr. Betsey Boughton, director of agroecology at Archbold, measured greenhouse gas emissions in grazing and non-grazing pastures. She found that cattle grazing contributes to the net reduction of emissions.
“Every year, we sequester 1,201 tons of CO2 equivalent at Archbold’s Buck Island Ranch and all of this work is scalable to other parts of the world,” Boughton said in a press release. “The narrative people have heard is that cows are bad for the environment, but grazing animals can actually change the function of grasslands. Cows are eating the grass and not allowing as much decomposition to happen on the ground. Without cows, we actually see more carbon emitted.”
