French farmers will begin a new series of protests against the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement on Monday, according to a statement released by the president of FNSEA, the country’s largest farm lobby, on Wednesday. They contend that increased imports from South America will negatively impact agriculture in the European Union. This is because Belgian farmers called for protests outside EU offices in Brussels on Wednesday.
“This trade agreement, which links part of the South American states to Europe, risks having dramatic consequences for agriculture,”
Arnaud Rousseau of FNSEA said on France’s Inter radio.
French farmers call for protection of local industries
French farmers, however, have no plans to block roads and highways as they did last year when widespread protests throughout the EU were sparked by resentment about competition from cheaper imports, notably those from EU ally Ukraine, and a regulatory load.
“We are not here to bother the French people; we are here to tell them that we are proud to feed them and continue to produce in France,”
he stated. The planned free trade agreement between South American nations and the EU was referred to as “a bad agreement” by the nation’s agriculture minister, Annie Genevard, on Sunday because it would permit the importation of “99,000 tons of beef, 180,000 tons of sugar, and similar quantities of poultry meat” and would lead to harmful competition. French farmers’ complaints have been exacerbated by weather-related harvest delays, livestock disease outbreaks, and political impasse following a snap election at the beginning of the summer.
The role of trade unions in protesting the deal
French farmers demonstrated against a trade agreement that would boost South American agricultural imports, claiming it would negatively impact their lives. An initial agreement was reached in 2019 between the European Union and the Mercosur trade bloc, which is made up of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. However, negotiations faltered because of resistance from farmers and some European governments, which resulted in large-scale protests where they specifically voiced their concerns about the use of pesticides in South American produce.
Despite French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard’s statement that the deal was “highly unlikely,” Tuesday’s protest in Aurillac, in southern France, marked the beginning of a new wave that is anticipated to spread throughout the European agricultural community amid concerns that it could be finalized at the G20 summit in Brazil on November 18–19. In an open letter to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a group of more than 600 French legislators stated that the requirements for reaching a deal with the Mercosur bloc “have not been met.” The letter was published in Le Monde. The Copa-Cogeca European farmers’ association wrote to von der Leyen on Monday, pushing her to reject the Mercosur accord and implement “a coherent trade policy,” while French demonstrators blocked the state building in the western commune of Niort last week.
Potential effects on food standards and safety
The three largest farmer unions in France have pledged to take action in the meantime: When the winter planting season concludes in mid-November, the main French FNSEA has called for widespread protests. In Auch and Agen, two cities in the Southwest of France, Coordination Rurale has pledged “an agricultural revolt” that would begin on November 19. Meanwhile, the third-largest union, Confédération Paysanne, which is well-known for its anti-globalization views, is also preparing its action against “free trade agreements.” Belgian farmers have also planned for protests on Wednesday near the EU headquarters in Brussels. According to Véronique Le Floc’h, president of Coordination Rurale, France’s second-largest farmers’ union, the Mercosur deal could flood the market with imports from South America that are produced under lower environmental and labor standards, while European farmers are worried about the EU’s overly stringent environmental regulations.
The future of French farming amid global trade deals
French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the agreement as “outdated” and “dreadful” in March. Since June 28, 1999, negotiations have been a drawn-out and agonizing process. As long as South American producers do not follow the same environmental and health regulations as Europeans, Macron is against any agreement. French farmers, however, have no plans to block roads and highways as they did last year when widespread protests throughout the EU were sparked by resentment about competition from cheaper imports, notably those from EU ally Ukraine, and a regulatory load. The proposed free trade agreement between South American countries and the EU, which would allow the importation of “99,000 tons of beef, 180,000 tons of sugar, and similar quantities of poultry meat” and would give local producers a competitive edge, was dubbed “a bad agreement” by the country’s agriculture minister, Annie Genevard, on Sunday.
