Farmers and activists call for greener agricultural policies during pre-election demonstration

Environmental groups and farmers called for a transition to a sustainable agri-food system, climate action, and the approval of the stalled nature restoration law during a modest demonstration in Brussels on Saturday (1 June).

This protest, organised by NGOs Good Food Good Farming and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, took place in the final week of the European Parliament election campaign, taking place on 6-9 June across the EU.

Agricultural policy has taken an unusually high profile in the pre-election period, influenced by large-scale farmer protests that have spread across almost all EU countries since January.

“Today’s demonstration in Brussels is a major highlight of our months-long campaign to keep food and farming on the agenda for the upcoming elections,” said Mia Mancini from Good Food Farming.

However, the turnout was modest, with about 400 participants, primarily environmental stakeholders rather than engaged citizens.

While the low attendance was blamed on cool and rainy weather, organisers emphasised that this was just one of many climate protests occurring from 31 May to 2 June in more than 128 cities across Europe.

“Green” is not an issue

Among the attendants was Quentin Ledoux, a farmer committed to ecological practices who runs a small mixed farm with fruit crops, ducks, sheep, and cows in Wallonia, Belgium.

Ledoux, who had participated in several protests that brought Brussels to a standstill, expressed his frustration with the outcome of the movement:  “I was very motivated, but relatively disappointed by the political gains we achieved,” he told Euractiv, noting that his main demand was less bureaucracy and better prices.

The European Commission responded to farmer protests by easing several environmental measures in the 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), making it easier for farmers to receive payments. The relaxation of the rules was rubberstamped by EU countries last month.

Ledoux noted that farmers need “decent incomes” to continue supporting nature and the climate.

“In my seven years as a farmer, I’ve planted trees and hedges, created ponds, and adopted extensive agriculture that respects nature and biodiversity.”

Tobias Schied, a 21-year-old part-time farmer and climate activist from Germany, underscored that challenges such as high land prices, climate change, and low farmer remuneration are preventing new generations from entering the agricultural sector.

“Land access and climate conditions make it unrealistic to turn my small family farm into a full-time job,” Schied, who is also an agricultural sciences student, told Euractiv.

“We need policies supporting biodiversity and climate action to ensure sustainable farming, but current EU funds are mainly paid just for land ownership,” he added.

Caroline Amrom, an agronomist and green (Ecolo) candidate for Brussels’ regional elections, explained that support for sustainable farming, such as organic agriculture, can also come from the local and regional levels.

“Lots of farmers now produce sustainably but have difficulties selling them in the cities. It’s the government’s responsibility to support this production through collective or public purchases,” she told Euractiv.

A political struggle

While many green politicians participated in this year’s agricultural protests, their pro-environment discourse struggled against that of influential farming lobbies like COPA and COGECA, who supported the Commission’s relaxation of green CAP rules.

The conservative European People’s Party (EPP) has also courted farmers by opposing new environmental legislation affecting agriculture in the run-up to the EU elections.

Séverine de Laveleye, a green member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, acknowledged the challenge of conveying their vision to farmers but stressed the importance of civil society support.

“It is probably not that easy for those working in the fields all day to really comprehend our vision and how it can help them long-term,” de Laveleye told Euractiv. “That’s our job, and we need a strong civil society for that.”

The latest projections from Europe Elects suggest the Greens could lose around 16 seats in the upcoming elections, with the European Parliament expected to shift to the right and reduce its environmental ambitions.

Despite this, the general mood at the demonstration was optimistic. Celebrating the achievements of the Green Deal, young farmers like Schied, who actively participated in the 2019 Fridays for Future movement, remained hopeful.

“We were successful, and if we continue, we will be successful. I’m very optimistic,” he stressed.

[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro/Zoran Radosavljevic]

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