European farmers protest EU-South America trade agreement

From Ireland to Greece, European farmers are protesting the European Union’s largest free trade accord with South American trading bloc Mercosur.

A sufficient majority of EU member states have backed the accord, which will now need to be approved by the European Parliament before it can begin.

But protesting farmers believe the agreement will hike up imports of cheap food products, including beef, poultry and sugar, undercutting domestic farmers.

To win over deal skeptics, the European Commission has put safeguards in place that can suspend imports of sensitive farm produce. It has strengthened import controls, notably regarding pesticide residues, established a crisis fund, accelerated support for farmers, and pledged to cut import duties on fertilisers.

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