French farmers protest EU-Mercosur trade deal
Farmers block a highway to protest the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, November 18, 2024 in Velizy-Villacoublay outside Paris
FRENCH farmers took part in widespread protests today, targeting the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement.
The farmers say that the deal threatens their livelihoods by allowing a surge of South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent environmental standards.
Protests took place across the country, including gatherings at prefectures and traffic circles.
Global South governments’ sovereignty and ability to decide future economic policy are severely compromised by signing free trade agreements, whose terms are heavily weighted in favour of the already wealthy countries of the global North, writes BERT SCHOUWENBURG
