In recent weeks, farmers in western Belgium have taken to the streets with their tractors to protest the European Union's environmental policies. The tractors, previously seen in the industrial farmlands leaving green sludge from destructive algae, have now blocked major cities and economic lifelines from Warsaw to Madrid and from Athens to Brussels.

Biological engineer Ineke Maes, who brought attention to the issue of algae caused by excessive chemical use by farmers, had hoped these policies would improve exhausted soils. However, the farmers argue that the progressive measures put in place by the EU to counter climate change and protect biodiversity are harming their livelihoods and suffocating them with bureaucratic red tape.

The impact of the protests has been significant, as agricultural concerns clash with environmental initiatives in the region. Time will tell how this standoff between farmers and policymakers unfolds.