Another approach to the environment

Photo Mario Dumont
Denmark produces far more pork than Quebec despite a territory smaller. Are we paralyzed by the environment.

Mario Dumont

Saturday, 31 march 2018 05:00

UPDATE
Saturday, 31 march 2018 05:00

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At the end of a week in Denmark, I have been able to see the way of life of a country, who has at heart the environment. You may be surprised to learn that this tiny country of Europe is a huge producer of pork. In Quebec, we were so hammered that this production is a tare for the ecology.

Here are the numbers. Québec has a territory that is 24 times larger than Denmark. You tell me that the Great North of quebec does not count if it is about agriculture. Let’s say that the agricultural land in quebec is two and half times that of Denmark.

However, Denmark produces four times more pork annually in Quebec. There are slaughtered annually 28 million head, while in us this figure is limited to 7 million. To export, we could estimate easily to nearly $ 5 billion of the monetary value of the additional sales that would be generated if we produced the same number of pigs.

These $ 5 billion does not include all of the benefits of the added economic activity would be generated by such growth. Municipal tax additional rural communities revitalized, the benefits are many when you count in billions.

How Denmark he managed the feat of producing four times more than we have on a territory two and a half times smaller ? Yet, we have the impression that the Québec pork production has gone to the extreme limit. There has been a moratorium on the government to stop the growth allegedly invasive. We attended the protest against the multiplication of ” mégaporcheries “.

How ?

Here I understand that Denmark has developed technologies among the most advanced for pig farming. To manage the food, droppings and odors, it has invested in methods that are cited as examples all over the world.

They are leaders in all aspects of the farming of the future : the genetic, the reduction of antibiotics, animal welfare as well as in the ecological management of the production. They have even reached the first rank worldwide with respect to the number of piglets born to a sow. So that in addition to their 28 million livestock slaughtered, they sell small pigs to neighbouring countries for their livestock.

One of the keys, is that their ministry of the Environment has not only put bans. He has been invested with the producers in the research and process improvement. It is part of the solutions rather than problems.

Our ministry paralyzing

In us, the ministry of the Environment acts as the police officer blocking the road with his arms crossed and that look in the other direction. You will not push ! NO ! Not the right to do this !

The ministry of the Environment of Quebec creates a problem in the name of virtue, and leaves the other to deal with the consequences. It is not part of the solution. The farmers with pesticides : a new way to do, get out your checkbook and make sure. Wetlands on the land of Molson in Longueuil. Pay two million and so much the worse !