Petra Dvořáková: Via Campesina: Farmers are struggling to survive due to pressure for international competitiveness

Tuesday, Jun 4, 2024

European farmers protest economic crisis, corporate influence, and demand fair prices and support for small farms.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Economic crises facing European farmers are not caused by cheap imports from Ukraine; rather, anti-ecological concessions benefit large agricultural corporations while ignoring the dire economic situation of small and medium local farms. Farmers across Europe protest issues such as low purchase prices, bureaucracy, and international free trade agreements, with some citing the impact of subsidized Ukrainian goods on their markets. Speakers emphasize that international trade should be based on food self-sufficiency, solidarity, and supporting small farmers, advocating for guaranteed purchase prices and a shift away from current global trade models. While protests have raised public awareness about the true cost of food production, farmers continue to demand long-term vision and support for ecological transformation despite facing severe economic hardship.


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