By Lily Bourne
Cauliflower, chicken, and wine flood streets in southern France as protests escalate regarding new agricultural taxes. The EU has pushed for higher taxes on fuel, reduced use of pesticides, and required land to be set aside for biodiversity as a way to decrease the negative ecological impact of agriculture; however, French farmers feel as though their very livelihoods are being threatened, since these taxes would come out of their sole income. In passionate interviews, farmers have explained that they feel their government cannot ask farmers to produce quality food while also allowing cheap imported products. On January 24th, the farmers began constructing a blockage in the Port of Calais, which transports products from large delivery trucks to the UK. Arnaud Gaulliot, head of the most prominent farmer’s union in France (FNSEA), even stated that “all possibilities are still on the table,” regarding future blockades as the protestors move towards the capital, Paris.
As of January 25, the protests have been located mostly in the southwest, with crates of produce and haybales piled across major highways. Farmers even drove tractors in large groups along roads, blocking traffic and creating a strong visual for the country as convoys of John Deere green tractors ran rampant and disrupted daily life. Clearly, the farmers aim to gain the attention of the public as well as the government officials they wish to sway. The more publicity their cause gets, the more likely their protests will be considered. The FNSEA’s specific demands include diesel tax breaks, immediate subsidy payments, and guaranteed insurance payouts. However, economist Philip Shalma explains that the government can not simply “make” prices and that the real prices do not depend on industrial retailers. Therefore, he believes that small farms will simply have to deal with the instability that comes with world agricultural prices. Interestingly, these protests have concerned French President Emmanuel Macron, as they represent a more outwardly conservative voice and may threaten upcoming elections in June.