The countryside mobilizes this week in the Spanish streets against the CAP, cost increases and cheap imports
Once again, the streets of Spain’s main cities and provincial capitals will be filled with tractors and farmers wearing yellow vests in protest of the current situation in the countryside. The three major agrarian employers’ associations have called for mobilizations this week and next, joining a larger protest movement that spans across Europe.
Similar to recent protests in France, Italy, and Greece, Spain will also witness demonstrations, although previous mobilizations in the country have been more subdued and have received less media attention. However, the recent striking scenes in Brussels, with blocked streets, street fires, and even the demolishing of a statue, have brought visibility to a group with shared yet contradictory demands.
The agricultural lobby identifies a common enemy: the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the increased bureaucratic measures introduced with its reform in 2021. They also criticize the influx of inexpensive agricultural imports from non-European Union countries, which puts Spanish farmers at a competitive disadvantage. Furthermore, they demand a resolution to the rising costs of raw materials and call for compliance with the food chain regulations.
The three major agricultural employers’ associations in Spain—COAG, Asaja, and UPA—are preparing a schedule of mobilizations to be announced between Monday and Tuesday, according to sources from one of the associations. As of now, protests have already been announced for February 8 in Salamanca, February 13 in La Rioja, and February 14 in Palencia. In provinces such as Zamora, farmers have already begun to mobilize.
The recent meeting between the agricultural lobby and the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, on last Friday, failed to halt the protests. While the minister pledged to defend the farmers’ interests before the European Union, the associations consider it insufficient.
ASAJA, the most conservative of the three major employers’ associations, openly questions the discourse on climate change. They criticize the “absurd environmentalism” of the CAP, attributing bureaucratic hindrances as the cause of farmers’ struggles. On the other hand, COAG speaks of “regulatory asphyxiation” resulting from legislation that does not consider the reality of the agrarian sector.
Furthermore, they demand that agricultural imports from third countries meet the same standards as those required of Spanish farmers. This argument parallels the concerns raised by French farmers against Spanish products, a comparison that Spanish agricultural associations reject.
COAG also insists on compliance with the food chain regulations, which necessitate considerations of production costs at each stage when setting prices. They highlight the discrepancy between the ridiculously low prices that Spanish farmers receive for their products and the abusive prices charged by supermarkets.
The ongoing drought, which has resulted in significant crop losses, also compounds the challenges faced by the agricultural sector. The conflict at hand entwines the need to adapt to climate change and the decline of the industry. The latest reform of the European CAP includes incentives, known as “eco-schemes,” that encourage environmental practices aligned with EU objectives. However, receiving CAP aid, which is crucial for the profitability of farms, is now contingent upon complying with these eco-schemes, adding bureaucratic burdens and imposing conditions that limit production capacity.
As UPA, the small farmers’ association, argues, it is time to inform the European Commission that farmers are the main victims of climate change and are burdened with excessive regulations as they strive to adapt and mitigate its effects.