Despite the large-scale mobilisations seen across Europe over the last month and clear political demands to protect farmers’ incomes, European policymakers have failed to take appropriate action and address the concerns of farmers. Their only response has come in the form of misguided and damaging decisions to revoke environmental measures. Therefore, the Belgian farmers’ union FUGEA, European farmers’ organisation ECVC and other farmers and agricultural workers from across Europe once again take to the streets of Brussels today, strongly supported by more than 40 civil society and workers’ organisations.
More than 1000 tractors are gathered around Schuman roundabout in Brussels as ministers meet in the AGRIFISH council meeting just metres away.
For Morgan Ody, farmer in Brittany and member of ECVC, “Farmers mobilisations continue across Europe because policymakers have so far failed to listen to those who feed our populations in Europe and who are on the front line of climate crises.” Farmers want to make a decent living from their work, and that means calling into question the European free trade policies that are responsible for the low and unstable prices at the root of farmers’ anger. Putting a stop to various measures aimed at protecting the environment is an easy solution that meets the needs of agribusiness players. Administrative simplification measures are necessary, but obviously insufficient to guarantee an income for our farms.
Our demands are:
- End free trade agreements and unfair competition, starting with the definitive end of EU-Mercosur agreement negotiations.
- Regulate markets and strengthen the directive on Unfair Trading Practices, using the Spanish food chain law as a positive example, in order to make it mandatory that prices paid to farmers cover production costs including a decent income and to protect them from speculation.
- Ensure a sufficient budget and an equitable distribution of CAP aid to facilitate a fair transition towards agroecology and sustainable practices.
- Reduce the administrative burden for farmers.
- Stop the deregulation of GMOs/new genomic techniques.
Small-scale farmers continue to push for solutions, not only on the streets but in meetings with decision makers. However, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Belgian Minister of Agriculture David Clarinval have failed to respond to several requests to meet to discuss the support farmers require to truly transition towards sustainable, agroecological models. For Hugues Falys, spokesperson of FUGEA “FUGEA and ECVC have always denounced the impact of free trade and market deregulation decided by Europe. Europe must change course. Without real progress, FUGEA, ECVC and their allies will keep the pressure on!”.
Beyond Europe, this paradigm change must also happen on the global stage. As farmers’ mobilisations also multiply in India, Africa and Latin America, supported by La Via Campesina, the thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in Abu Dhabi from 26 to 29 February. The WTO bears immense responsibility for the current social and environmental crises. At a time when it is time to bring an end to the WTO and build a new trade framework based on food sovereignty and international solidarity.
Contact information
Morgan Ody
FR, EN
ECVC Coordinating Committee
+33 626977643
Hugues Falys
FR
FUGEA
+32 049761414
Alisha Sesum
EN, FR, ES
ECVC Communications Officer
alisha@eurovia.org
+32465033385
Timothée Petel
FR
FUGEA
+32 479 69 20 53