Charlie, now 69, sums up the situation with blunt honesty: they wouldn’t have reached this moment if life had treated them fairly. Retired from a life once spent growing grains and legumes, he speaks about the reasons behind the upheaval. Across France, rural protests are intensifying, mirroring similar movements seen in other European countries. Like many Rural Coordination activists, the former farmer joined a blockade on the A62 motorway near Agen in the southwest on a Tuesday. Large stacks of straw, dozens of tractors, and various farming machines blocked the roadway, bringing traffic to a standstill. In a show of solidarity with the demonstrators, the gendarmerie checked that no vehicles could pass in the corridor between Toulouse and Bordeaux.
In recent months, peasant protests have surged from Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Poland into France, a nation often described as the loudest voice among European farmers. “Last week the blockades started on the Carbonne highway between Toulouse and Tarbes, then we joined Agen. It’s like a snowball,” Thierry Gola, a farmer from Miramont-de-Guyenne, told El Periódico de Catalunya, part of the Prensa Ibérica group. Wearing the yellow Rural Coordination hat, he stood with many others who have gathered across the southern arc as protests spread to France’s central and northern regions on Wednesday.
Spanish farmers examine protests similar to those in France and Germany
Gola added with a measure of relief, “They had forgotten about us, but now politicians are beginning to talk about our concerns.” It was three o’clock in the afternoon, time to share a meal around a plastic table set up in the middle of the highway. Nearby, pallets of apples and a bonfire provided warmth as the convoy’s workers rested. While the farmers who inspected the tractor caravan took a break, most protesters had moved into the city to demonstrate using improvised symbols: cast wheels, straw, rotten fruit, and animal waste in front of the governor’s office, the government delegation, and the headquarters of the agricultural investment fund and the bank.
“I have no income left at the end of the month”
Protests continued, with the organization lacking the traditional leadership of FNSEA, the country’s largest farmers’ union, which is historically tied to large producers. In contrast, smaller unions and independent farmers organized actions, as seen in Carbonne. Roadblocks and other demonstrations threatened to spread. On Wednesday, tensions surfaced at Agen’s prefecture when protesters briefly clashed with police. A pile of straw and wheels was set ablaze. A cargo truck was unloaded in Brittany with security clearance. Just last week, a viticulture collective sparked new disturbances, including a major administrative disruption in Carcassonne.
The protests have sharpened in intensity. Earlier that Tuesday, a car collided with a hay stack in Ariège, near the border with Catalonia, resulting in the deaths of a 37-year-old farmer and his 12-year-old daughter. What began as a tragedy hardened the resolve of the agricultural workforce. “The government did not listen to our grievances, and there were two deaths. They are responsible for this situation,” said Yves, age 58, referring to peaceful year-end demonstrations that yielded little change. Local leaders urged turning entrance panels upside down as a form of protest.
This organic wheat producer does not hide the despair felt amid the squeeze on small and mid-sized farms. “When the month ends, I have no net income left. I survive thanks to my wife’s salary,” Yves explained, noting that inflation continued to bite. He added that while support for organic farming existed, demand has not kept pace with supply.
For many, this is a fight for survival. Charlie describes the broader economic rift within the primary sector, where income inequality runs high and poverty remains a threat. Economist Maxime Combes notes that a sizeable share of French farmers struggle to earn a living, especially in the south where many small and medium-sized farms operate. The narrative points to a region where family farms are common and financial strain is pervasive.
Removal of diesel subsidy: “It was the last straw”
The sector’s fragility is tied to rising costs—electricity, fuel, and fertilizer—fueled by the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine. Diesel prices for farmers have climbed from roughly 0.70 euros to about 1.20 euros per liter over the past two years. “That was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” explained Jean-Luc Granet, 69, referring to a diesel tax deduction removal planned in the latest budget and phased in through 2030. “The Green Deal and its growth-reduction mindset is the core issue,” added Arnaud Rousseau of the FNSEA, who warned that production could fall while imports keep rising.
Yet the causes run far deeper than a single policy. The anger also stems from free trade concerns, such as agreements with New Zealand and Chile, uneven alignment with European standards, and worries about Ukraine’s potential EU entry. Some remember how the Macron administration appeared dismissive during pension protests last year. “It would be too simplistic to tie these protests only to environmental policy,” Combes observed.
Compared to the heavy-handed responses seen during past protests, the current government has shown cautious tolerance. Officials acknowledge public support for farmers, with a recent survey showing broad backing from the general population. A government spokesperson indicated that measures would be announced in short order, even as the risk of a broader rural spillover continues to loom over Macron’s France. The farmers’ actions, while contentious, underscore a political moment in which rural voices command visibility and influence.