Europe Asia News

Approximately 500 agricultural workers and trade union representatives from across Europe held a demonstration in Brussels to voice their demands concerning the European Union's (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. During Tuesday's protest, participants called for rising production costs and pressure on employment to be taken into account in the reform process.

Ongoing geopolitical conflicts, together with increases in energy and raw material prices, were reported to have driven up agricultural production costs across Europe, intensifying economic pressure on farmers.

Arianna Giuliodori, Director of the Brussels Office of Coldiretti, one of Italy's leading agricultural and food sector organizations, said Italian farmers were struggling to maintain their operations due to rising production costs. Giuliodori noted that fertilizer prices had doubled and fuel costs had increased, adding that some farmers were questioning whether they could continue operating amid high production costs and low selling prices. She warned that farmers' inability to generate income could also jeopardize future food production.

The European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), which organized the protest, stated that agricultural workers' job security and incomes were also under pressure, alongside rising costs. The federation noted that Europe has approximately 12 million agricultural workers, a significant proportion of whom are employed in seasonal or temporary jobs, potentially resulting in irregular working conditions and low wages.

EFFAT General Secretary Enrico Somaglia stated that fertilizer prices are largely linked to natural gas prices and that rising raw material costs are placing a strain on the sector. Somaglia called on the European Union to take the necessary measures to address these problems and emphasized the importance of using existing public resources effectively and appropriately.

The federation called for EU public funds to play a more effective role in supporting agriculture amid rising production costs and for the fundamental rights of workers to be protected.

As European countries seek to strengthen public finances while also funding other expenditures, including assistance to Ukraine, the allocation of resources to agriculture has become an issue of debate. Meanwhile, the impact of rising energy and fertilizer prices on agricultural workers continues.