French Farmers protest EU-Mercosur trade deal

Farmers throughout France have organized large-scale protests on Monday against the trade accord between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American nations.

The farmers argue that the deal threatens their livelihoods by allowing a surge of cheap South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent environmental standards.

French farmers against 'unbalanced treaty'

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 French financial newspaper La Tribune Dimanche. 

French farmers are already frustrated with lower incomes and say the deal will be unfair to themImage: Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto/picture alliance

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 Emmanuel Macron — who is currently on a tour of Latin America — reiterated his long-standing opposition to the treaty.

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 European Union 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

French farmers have long expressed their dissatisfaction with declining incomes, stringent EU regulations and what they believe are excessive government demands.

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.

The last time French farmers protested – in early 2024 – they blocked highways with tractors for weeks and dumped manure on the roads.

mk/lo (AP, dpa, Reuters)