The Green Deal of Brussels for agriculture and animal husbandry is theoretically very good.
The declared goal is the reduction of gas emissions, the limitation of pesticide use, and the protection of arable land through fallow land. The general slogan is “Farm to Fork,” which may sound romantic.
While Europe sets a framework in which farmers will be forced to produce their products, it cannot put a brake on imports from countries where there are no restrictions.
Thus, these countries can produce vast quantities at the expense of the planet and people’s health.
Countries like Morocco, Tunisia, and Turkey can meet Europe’s needs for tomatoes, olives, oil, and many other products, without anyone caring about the quantities or the type of fertilizers used, nor whether the fields have been worn out by their continuous and intensive use.
That’s why European large-scale farmers are moving their businesses to these countries, exporting products to Europe in unfair competition with their colleagues who took to the streets with tractors, while far-right movements invest in farmers’ anger, forcing Brussels to reconsider.
At the same time, extreme weather events – as a result of climate change caused by human actions, including agriculture in the way it is conducted – make the situation even more difficult for farmers, and their reaction is understandable.
“Indebted, pressured by supermarkets and multinational food companies,” explained Le Monde diplomatique, “hit by recurring droughts and floods, forced to align with foreign competition and its cheap products, dependent on a subsidy system that favors large farmers…”
However, things are neither black nor white. Farmers are right, but…
At the same time, consumers also bear responsibility.
However simplistic it may sound, we want to eat tomatoes and eggplants in winter and summer, and grapes and watermelons in February, regardless of where they came from.
Bananas from Uruguay without considering the kilometers they traveled and the emissions they caused to reach us.
Cereals from Ukraine, which are cheaper, in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Almonds from America because we cut down our own almond trees (in the case of Cyprus) to make way for property development, which is much more profitable.
Garlic and onions from China, beans from Argentina, and so on. As for “Farm to Fork,” in a small place like Cyprus, it can largely be achieved.
