Background food production
Food issues highlighted: European farmer in protest
Exploding pork prices in China. Record high onion prices in India. Disruptive bushfires in Australia. They are all events that result in volatile food prices. Boerenbusiness sketches (in the period around Christmas and New Year) in a series of articles the food issues on the different continents. Last but not least, in this series it is Europe's turn where farmers' protests in 2019 demanded attention.
The farmers' protests were not only a 'hot item' in the Netherlands. Also in Germany, France and Ireland tens of thousands of farmers took to the streets last year to express their dissatisfaction. The protests were mostly a reaction to the agrarian policies of the governments. The 'French peasant revolution' seems to have spread to other countries.
October 1 will go down in the history books
Dutch farmers set up various campaigns in 2019 that caused a lot of commotion. Starting with the national action of October 1 in The Hague, set up by sheep farmer Bart Kemp from Ede, Gelderland. The day will go down in history as the largest farmers' protest ever in our country. An enormous mass of farmers with tractors filled the Malieveld.
1 October yielded 'profits' in several aspects. This created a form of fraternization between the peasants. Society also responded largely positively. There was understanding for the farmers, with which the goal of the day had already been partly achieved. More protests followed, including on October 16, November 25 and - the much-discussed protest - of December 18, when farmers threatened to cut food supplies. In the end, it went off without a hitch.
Farmers in the Netherlands unite
The driving forces behind the protests are Farmers Defense Force (FDF) and Agractie. Both action groups were established last year. FDF was created in May after the stable occupation in Boxtel† It started with a few farmers who got together through an app group, it quickly grew into a popular Facebook group.
In October 2019, FDF established a foundation and its existence was a fact. Agractie arose in the run-up to the farmers' protest on 1 October. The impact of both action groups is huge. In their statements they are usually sharper than the established order and this tone of voice attracts many farmers.
Perhaps the biggest gain of 2019 is that almost all activist groups and advocates have united in the Agricultural Collective. Under the chairmanship of Aalt Dijkhuizen, the agrarian Netherlands now speaks from 1 voice towards politics. The collective seems to be here to stay, which means that a fist can also be made in the coming years.
Protests in Germany and France
Farmers in neighboring countries also made themselves heard several times last year. For example, German farmers are demonstrating against the increasingly strict crop protection policy and the stricter fertilizer standards. In Ireland and France, farmers took to the streets against poor prices and tightening policies.
Farmer protests are not new in France, but they are in Germany and Ireland. On November 26, an estimated 100.000 German farmers took to the streets in Berlin. This is the biggest farmers' protest ever. A 'common denominator' that European farmers draw attention to is a yearning for more appreciation for the work they do. Slogans such as 'no farmers no food' were also visible in other countries.
The tone is set
One thing has become clear in 2019: farmers will no longer be fooled. That promises something for 2020. FDF and Agractie have already indicated that there will be protests again if the (nitrogen) policy does not suit them. In France, peasant protests are an almost annual phenomenon. Fireworks can also be expected again in Ireland and Germany.
In Germany, it was already a hit at the beginning of January when about 5.000 German farmers joined the party congress of the CSU protested in Bavaria. In the Netherlands, nitrogen policy is not yet settled, despite promises from the cabinet to the Agricultural Collective. The tractor, which is now almost a symbol of a farmer's protest, may also be used in other countries this year. Because farmers in Europe clearly have a taste for protesting and campaigning.
Read here the articles that appeared about the food issues that play on the other continents:
- Drought in Oceania (Australia)
- Onion crisis and swine fever in Asia
- Boer Murder in Africa
- commotion in America
Jorine Cosse
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