- Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Creative destruction — a term popularized by the Austrian political economist Joseph Schumpeter — is unmistakably present in America today.

Notably, artificial intelligence is poised to displace white-collar workers, just as automation has jeopardized the landscape for blue-collar jobs.

While the forces of change are barreling down on the United States, it’s important to remember not all change represents improvement. In fact, some societal remodels justify hostility.

Nowhere is this more likely to unfold than in one of the most enduring professions in the world: farming.

Agriculture has existed for thousands of years. While techniques and processes have evolved — becoming more efficient, effective and reliable — one thing has never changed. People need to eat. Therefore, farmers need to farm.

But this way of life is under attack around the world. And governments are quickly realizing what happens when they bite the hand that feeds them.

Several European capitals are pursuing policies that threaten to hollow out their agriculture sectors.

In an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Dutch government, for example, is deploying a scheme to reduce the number of livestock in the country by one-third. How? By forcing farmers into involuntary buyouts.

In Spain, “water police” are targeting farmers for “illegally” irrigating crops.

And in Belgium — as well as other parts of the continent — agriculture businesses face a growing regulatory state that would limit the use of land in an effort to restore habitat.

But European farmers are putting up a fight.

In the Netherlands, farmers deployed tractor blockades in urban areas — and in some cases, dumped manure to convey their outrage at eco-overreach. Earlier this year, those frustrations fueled a shock election that catapulted the Farmer-Citizen Movement to become one of the biggest political parties in the Dutch Senate.

Similarly, a fired-up political base in Spain gave the left-leaning government a scare in July when backlash over the country’s water wars helped drive the opposition. Although falling short of a controlling coalition, the outcome represents a shot across the bow with farmers behind the trigger.

The U.S. is following Europe down this precarious path. And if the trajectory holds, we can expect a similar recoil that puts our farmers at the center of the country’s political landscape.

Prodded by well-funded animal liberation groups with extreme agendas, some states—including California and Massachusetts—are implementing policies that restrict the sale of veterinary-approved pork, among other products.

The Endangered Species Act is being politicized to wrap proverbial caution tape around large swaths of the country, signaling that the land is off-limits.

And the Biden administration is exploring policies to shrink the carbon footprint of agriculture operations, an economic burden that will inevitably be borne on the backs of farmers.

Like in Europe, the compounding eco-overreach will hit a breaking point that will spark a political mobilization of rural America that we haven’t seen in many years. Given that the U.S. was founded by revolutionary farmers who risked it all to defend their way of life, the backlash against policymakers and elitist urban activists attempting to dictate how farmers manage land is likely to be even more intense.

The passion is already bubbling to the surface, wafting into pop culture. “Yellowstone,” a television series that lionizes a steely cowboy defending his ranch from change — is one of the most popular shows in the country.

And before you discount the political power of a cultural phenomenon, recall the elected office the one-time host of “The Apprentice” held.

The American political landscape is primed for a rural revolt. It will just take a leader to activate them.

The question “Who is John Galt?” may soon be replaced by “Where is John Dutton?”

• Jack Hubbard is an owner and partner at Berman and Co. He is also the executive director of the Center for the Environment and Welfare.

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