Facing up to growing discontent

Farmers’ protests and political backtracking are not exactly conducive to the kind of large-scale backing required for sustainable agriculture to thrive. Even so, the movement will take some stopping.

Barclay Ballard

Both inside the EU and elsewhere, farmers have been taking to the streets in recent months, protesting sustainability policies they believe put them at a financial disadvantage.?

These range from targets intended to reduce livestock’s methane emissions in New Zealand, to cuts to long-standing diesel subsidies in Germany, and even rules on leaving agricultural land fallow in Poland. The EU’s flagship Nature Restoration Law has been caught in the crossfire too, having been repeatedly delayed in response to protests, such that it still faces an uncertain future.

While the causes may vary, the discontent is undoubtedly widespread. And although some claim the reactions of farmers (and the subsequent government backdowns) are hasty or overblown, they are at least easy to understand. After all, there is little more important than food security

Policy and protest

More recently, things appear to be going from bad to worse. In the third quarter of 2023, for instance, the average price of agricultural products that EU farmers received declined by 9 percent compared with the same period in 2022. Continue reading…

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