2024 European farmers' protests

2024 European farmers' protests
Tractors at Saint-Etienne-de-Fontbellon (Ardèche, Occitania) during the French farmers' protests in January 2024.
DateDecember 2023 (2023-12) – present
Location
European Union
Caused by
Goals
  • Increased agricultural subsidies.
  • Limitation of foreign agricultural produce imports.
  • Higher prices for agricultural produce.[2]
Methods
StatusOngoing
Casualties
Death(s)2
Injuries3
Arrestedat least 91[3]

The 2024 European farmers' protests are a series of protests by farmers that have been occurring since December 2023. The farmers have protested against low food prices, proposed environmental regulations (such as a carbon tax, pesticide bans, nitrogen emissions curbs and restrictions on water and land usage), and trade in agricultural products with non-European Union member states, such as Ukraine and the Mercosur bloc of South America.[1][4][5][6] The protests take place in a context of the Common Agricultural Policy, a program where the EU provides €57 billion in subsidies to farmers (approximately a quarter of all EU subsidies).[7]

Under the European Green Deal, which aimed at making the European bloc carbon-neutral by 2050, farmers would need to devote 4% of their arable land to non-productive purposes and reduce the use of fertilizer by 20%.[8] In response to the protests, the EU backtracked on policies to consider farming emissions in its 2040 climate roadmap, a law to cut pesticide use and delaying implementation of a target for farmers to leave some land fallow to improve biodiversity.[6] In France and Germany, farmers protested against proposals to scrap tax breaks for agricultural diesel.[9] The farmers also protested against the EU–Mercosur free trade agreement.[10] In the Netherlands, farmers protested against reductions in nitrogen emissions.[8]

The methodology of the farmers is often street blockades and protesting.[11] There are also often occupations, demonstrations, illegal dumping and barricades done by farmers, especially in the Netherlands and France.[12]

  1. ^ a b "Polish farmers protest against Ukrainian imports and EU Green Deal". euronews. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  2. ^ "Boerenprotest zet prijzendiscussie op de agenda". FoodAgriBusiness.nl (in Dutch). 18 December 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Colère des agriculteurs : Ce qu'il faut retenir de la journée de mercredi - France Bleu". 31 January 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
  4. ^ "Farmers' protests: EU to cap some Ukrainian tariff-free imports". 2024-03-20.
  5. ^ Liakos, Sophie Tanno, Chris (2024-02-03). "Farmers' protests have erupted across Europe. Here's why". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b "Farmers clash with riot police in Brussels as EU agriculture leaders meet". The Guardian. 2024-02-26. ISSN 0261-3077.
  7. ^ "Why are farmers across Europe protesting?". DW. 2024.
  8. ^ a b "What to Know About the Farmer Protests in Europe". TIME. 2024-02-02. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  9. ^ "France drops plan to decrease farmers' diesel discount but protests to continue". Reuters. 2024.
  10. ^ "EU-Mercosur trade deal draws ire of European farmers". France 24. 31 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Farmers Block Roads With Tractors in Protest of EU Regulations". Voice of America. 2024-02-03. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  12. ^ à 09h43, Par Julie Rimbert Le 16 janvier 2024 (2024-01-16). "En colère, les agriculteurs d'Occitanie manifestent une nouvelle fois ce mardi à Toulouse". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-03-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)