The farmers' protest: the claims igniting Europe

Undoubtedly, in recent weeks, one theme has been prominently in the spotlight, becoming the main topic of discussion both nationally and at the European level: the farmers' protest.

It erupted in Northern Europe and quickly spread throughout the continent, with demonstrations and symbolic acts of protest, such as the toppling of the statue of Beaufort, part of the monumental complex dedicated to John Cockerill, located in front of the European Parliament. This act was claimed as a stance against a Europe that has drifted away from the goals and principles for which it was founded.

From this reading, the analysis of the ongoing protests begins. Despite the fact that there have been pressures on national governments, as demonstrated by the case of Italy, resulting in the negotiation of more accommodating public policies, the driving force behind the movement aims to change the rules at the European level.

In particular, attention is focused on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), one of the most significant spending items in the European budget, which has been providing support to the agricultural sector for 50 years through a series of initiatives, as evidenced by its 10 key points. These initiatives do not only address the economic dimension of agriculture but also extend to environmental and social aspects [1].

Furthermore, there is the European Green Deal, a programmatic framework established by the current Commission with the aim of guiding Europe through a process of decarbonization and climate neutrality by the year 2050[2].

Based on what has been established in recent years, farmers, as repeatedly claimed, feel betrayed by a European policy that does not provide sufficient incentives but rather penalizes the agricultural sector, starting from achieving fair income for workers, which currently falls short by up to 40% compared to other strategic sectors. This vulnerability, despite the interventions provided by the CAP, is unlikely to be overcome in the short term, especially in a sector where creating sufficient value is extremely challenging, particularly among medium to small-scale producers.

A vulnerability that, despite the interventions provided by the CAP, is unlikely to be overcome in the short term, in a sector where creating sufficient value is extremely challenging, especially among medium to small-scale producers.

A decisive issue that could worsen further, as stated by the protesters, both due to rising energy costs and due to future negotiations of free trade agreements with non-European countries. This is the case with the Agreement with the Mercosur countries, which could lead to massive imports of agricultural products at very low cost, but which in recent weeks, precisely because of the protests, seems to have been definitively put on hold.

Questo è il caso dell’Accordo con i Paesi del Mercosur, che potrebbe portare ad un massiccio import di prodotti agricoli a bassissimo costo, ma che nelle ultime settimane, proprio a causa delle proteste, sembra essere stato messo definitivamente in stand-by[3].

But it's not over yet; there are still many issues on the table, including criticism of some measures adopted to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. It is precisely on this negotiating front that the protesters have achieved their first victory, with the withdrawal of the pesticide law proposal, included in the Farm-to-Fork strategy prepared by the European Green Deal, considered too rigid and excessively limiting for agricultural producers[4].

However, it is evident that the situation is fluid, and new negotiations between the protesters and European institutions could open up in the coming weeks for the definition of more conciliatory policies.

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Translation by Stefania Errico