One of France’s largest farmers’ unions is seeking guarantees from the prime minister’s office that it will defend a form of agriculture focused on protecting small farmers, who say are being crushed by free trade.
French farmers continued to rally against the Mercosur trade deal on Monday, staging protests near Paris and demanding better compensation.
“Coordination Rurale”, the second-largest farmers’ union in France, called on its members to demonstrate and “go up to Paris, by car or tractor” from Essone, Yvelines and Seine-et-Marne.
The procession started at 6am local time on Monday morning with the aim of converging on Paris, but was met with roadblocks by French law enforcement, causing traffic delays.
The union wants to obtain a guarantee from French Prime Minister François Bayrou regarding the protection of small farmers in the agricultural industry. French farmers argue the Mercosur agreement is part of a broader trend which threatens rural livelihoods in France.
The Paris and Val-de-Marne police prefectures banned “all undeclared gatherings” in central Paris and in the vicinity of the Rungis market from Sunday evening until midday on Monday.
France’s four main agricultural unions are due to meet at the Matignon, the official residence of the French Prime Minister, on 13 January.
The EU-Mercosur trade deal is a proposed free trade agreement aimed at boosting economic ties and cooperation between the European Union and South American nations. A main feature of the agreement is the elimination or reduction on tariffs on a wide range of goods, including agricultural products.
Countries backing the deal say it will help reduce trade reliance on China and could protect the EU from trade tariffs US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to impose.
