Why are French farmers protesting?

Good Afternoon,

I've been trying to get my head wrapped around some EU/French politics recently as I have seen viral photos of farmers dumping manure in front of buildings and running amuck.

If somebody has a good grasp of what is happening, could you enlighten me?

Imported food is cheaper than what can be made in France it seems? Inputs are expensive such as diesel? Limits are being put on pesticides?

I'm simply trying to conceptualize if France is struggling with making 'traditional' farming profitable or if this is deeper.

Not super informed but from what Ive heard its a money thing. The government will cut off farming subsudies (diesel) so their thin proftis  will go down more.

Some of them are upset that the EU parliament was considering tougher limits on [that-which-shall-not-be-named-here] toxic gick. Toss that in with the cost of diesel and the end of some subsidies, and a lot of marginal operators start going under.

The bigger pity is that no one appears to be having conversations over there about permaculture and/or regenerative methods. A lot of European farms are still small enough to be worked by human and animal power and we all know that by working with nature instead of engaging in an arms race we get a yield with lower levels of inputs. Bird and insect populations across the continent have plummeted in the past few decades, and the regulatory changes are just a reaction to this...possibly too little, too late, and now probably pulled back because of the riots.

There is definitely an element of agent provocateurs stirring things up, as well. Far-right pressure groups around the world are actively cultivating farmers and sowing grievances in order to destabilise democracies with protests just like these. It's been going on here for years and it has ugly racist overtones in addition to the pushback against what are mostly pretty minor and common-sense environmental regulations...you would think rural communities would want to trust that water that comes out of their taps is safe to drink.

EU Farmers escalate protests

" Farmers have been protesting across Europe against the globalist agenda, rising costs in the agriculture sector and targeted taxes by the various governments."

"Thousands of French farmers have been demonstrating for a couple of weeks across the country in protests over low earnings, heavy regulation and what they call unfair competition from abroad. Similar protests also have extended across Europe, including at the European Union headquarters in Brussels.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, whose earlier promises to address farmers’ issues had failed to quell the French protests, announced a new set of measures Thursday.

They included tens of millions of euros in aid, tax breaks and a promise not to ban pesticides in France that are allowed elsewhere in Europe — which French farmers say leads to unfair competition. Attal also said France would immediately ban imports from outside the EU that use a pesticide banned in the bloc."


I can see why folks on here would prefer to see discussions of regenerative agriculture but I personally think that needs to come from within the farming community.
If the farmers are driven out of business, that is not going to happen.