Will farmers soon be back on the streets? After a major mobilization which shook the country at the beginning of 2024, anger is still present within the agricultural world.
Beyond the persistent economic difficulties of certain breeders and the delay in the implementation of several aid measures promised by the government, the possibility of a trade agreement between the European Commission and Mercosur at the next G20 summit has rekindled the embers of protest.
A deal that makes one cringe
“The agreement would open the door to 99,000 tonnes of beef, 180,000 tonnes of poultry meat, the equivalent of 3.4 million tonnes of corn, 180,000 tonnes of sugar… All produced in unacceptable conditions: use of growth activating antibiotics, lack of traceability, phytosanitary active substances banned in France,” the majority unions had alerted FNSEA and Young Farmers in a press release last month.
If a few symbolic actions have been carried out sporadically in recent weeks, mainly in Occitania, the discontent could quickly grow and spread to the rest of the country. The FNSEA and the Young Farmers are raising the threat of a “resumption of actions from November 15”.
Ongoing discussions
In Ille-et-Vilaine, if the local branches of the unions display less virulent postures than their counterparts in the South West, discussions are underway to decide on the form that a possible mobilization could take. “We have not been the worst served in the West,” recalls Angeli Lebreton, co-president of Young Farmers 35. “Particularly on the subject of permanent meadows where we believe we have been more or less heard.”
“Our products must be paid for at the right price, including production costs,” continues the breeder. “We also want even more administrative simplification. But do you really have to go so far as to go back to the streets to get all this? We are scheduled to meet some of our members on Wednesday November 13 to discuss this subject.”
It's still the Foirfouille
On the side of Coordination Rurale, the third French agricultural union and the first to have launched hostilities at the start of the year, reflections are also underway concerning possible mobilizations but nothing has yet been decided.
“It’s always the Foirfouille on the government’s side,” annoys Joseph Martin, president of Rural Coordination in Brittany. “We want to calm things down, without curing the problem. The texts are slightly modified, but it's not enough. There are still issues on which we need to be heard, but we are prioritizing dialogue for the moment. We will meet the regional prefect shortly and remind him of all this.”
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