Farmers throughout have organized large-scale protests on Monday against the between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American nations.
The farmers argue that threatens their livelihoods by allowing a surge of cheap South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent environmental standards.
As farmers face cheaper imports, burdensome regulations and meagre incomes, a Mercosur deal would represent a bitter “cherry on the cake”, Arnaud Rousseau, head of France’s main farmers’ union, the FNSEA, told BFM TV.
“We are against the conclusion of an unbalanced treaty likely to destroy part of the French agricultural sector,” he told La Tribune Dimanche.
According to Rousseau, farmers will conduct rallies on Monday and Tuesday, mainly in front of government buildings, with protests expected to last until mid-December.
Coordination Rurale, a union linked to the far right, has promised an “agricultural revolt,” including food freight blockades beginning Tuesday in southwestern France.
French President — who is currently on a tour of Latin America — reiterated his .
After a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei, Macron said that France would not approve the agreement in its current form.
What is the deal?
The deal is between the and a South American economic alliance called Mercosur. It includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and looks to establish the largest free trade zone in the world — one that would encompass 700 million people.
While the aim of the deal is to lower tariffs and boost trade, French farmers have long expressed concerns that a Mercosur accord will bring more beef, chicken, sugar and maize from Brazil and Argentina, lowering their incomes.
Moreover, they say these countries use pesticides on crops and growth antibiotics in livestock that are outlawed in Europe.
Farmers’ woes
have long expressed their dissatisfaction with declining incomes, stringent EU regulations and what they believe are excessive government demand.
Last winter, European farmers voiced similar frustrations after a surge in imports from Ukraine due to Russia’s invasion.
However, resentment has worsened in France, where farmers have recently faced rain-hit harvests, livestock disease outbreaks, and delayed measures promised to defuse previous protests.
A Mercosur deal would represent a bitter “cherry on the cake”, Rousseau told BFM TV on Sunday.
The last time French farmers protested – in early 2024 – and dumped manure on the roads.
mk/lo (AP, dpa, Reuters)
The post French Farmers protest EU-Mercosur trade deal appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
