"As farmers, we are the first to be affected by climate change and the ones who suffer the most from pesticide exposure. Many farmers have died from cancer as a result," said 30-year-old French farmer Jean Mathieu Thevenot.

The Paris Olympics have kicked off, filling the streets with joy and excitement, making people forget the scene from five months ago when a large number of angry French farmers drove tractors to protest the EU’s green policies along the Seine. With the European Parliament session concluding in June and the Olympics underway, tensions have eased. In July, Euronews interviewed small French farmers to present a different perspective.

Before the European Parliament elections, farmers from EU countries took turns protesting. The reasons were varied, but a common issue was the low-price import of foreign agricultural products, which made it difficult for local products to compete. Another concern was the green legislation, the Nature Restoration Law, which imposed numerous restrictions, including requirements for farmers to reduce pesticide usage and protect peatlands. This led to a perceived opposition between farmers and environmental groups.
 

“Farmers are not against environmentalists. On the contrary, we hope that Europe will adopt higher ecological and environmental standards,” clarified Taverne.

Taverne is the representative for climate issues at the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC), a small farmers' alliance. He told Euronews that many people interpret the conflict as a clash between urban environmentalists and rural farmers, which he claims is a deliberate misrepresentation by big agricultural corporations. These corporations suggest that farmers' dissatisfaction is due to excessive government environmental regulations, but the real issue is the large chain stores and supermarkets that disregard both farmers and climate change.

He provided an example: this spring was particularly wet and cold, forcing farmers to postpone the tomato planting season until summer, but supermarket buyers don’t wait. “They don’t care about climate change at all. No tomatoes in France? Then buy from Morocco, and at a very low price.”

Taverne said that small farmers demand fair agricultural income. According to ECVC, the average income of farmers, including subsidies, is only half that of other citizens in most EU countries. He supports government intervention in the pricing of agricultural products to protect farmers.

ECVC issued multiple statements before the elections, clarifying that they were protesting the EU’s free trade agenda, rather than the green policies. In fact, the climate crisis is threatening agriculture, and abandoning green policies would make agricultural production harder and more complex.

The ''Nature Restoration Law'' was green legislation proposed by the previous European Parliament, but the political climate changed after the Russia-Ukraine war. In late February of this year, the European Parliament passed the draft, but it nearly failed as member states continued to withdraw. In a dramatic turnaround in June, the Council of the EU finally approved it.

References:
♦Euronews (2024/7/7), ‘We are the first impacted by climate change’: Why Europe’s rural farmers support green policies

♦The Guardian (2024/4/26), New EU nature law will fail without farmers, scientists warn

♦European Coordination Via Campesina (2024/5/30), EU elections are key for farmers, with fair prices and ending free trade agreements as central issues

♦Associated Press (2024/6/17), Landmark EU nature restoration plan gets the green light despite months of protests by farmers

Source: Environmental Information Center