Brussel (Brussels Morning) – Farmers peacefully protested in Brussels with plastic cows demanding fair prices due to declining profits. Police presence was calm, highlighting concerns over unequal profit distribution in the food industry.
The farmers’ protest in Brussels was peaceful with around a hundred participants. There were concerns about potential traffic issues and conflicts but the event proceeded calmly as confirmed by the Brussels police. The European Milk Board (EMB) organized the demonstration using plastic cows to highlight issues with the Common European Agricultural Policy and the unequal distribution of profits in the food production chain across Europe. The farmers and EMB believe that major players like supermarkets are reluctant to share a fair portion of profits with the agricultural sector.
What Motivated the Peaceful Plastic Cow Protest by European Dairy Farmers in Brussels?
The farmers’ protest in Brussels didn’t cause major traffic problems. Previous demonstrations with lots of tractors this one was peaceful with just plastic cows. The only interaction with the police was at Schumanplein where both sides faced off police in full gear. There was a water cannon nearby but the situation didn’t escalate. The farmers just wanted their cows back and they peacefully arranged the plastic cows at the barriers.
The farmers are demanding fair prices for their products highlighting that the share of production costs covered by milk and meat prices has decreased significantly over the years. In 1970 milk prices covered 57% of production costs but by 2019 it had dropped to 39% Similarly for meat the percentage decreased from 44% in the 1970s to 22% in 2022.
The farmers are calling on European policymakers to address this issue feeling unheard and undervalued. Despite this the European Milk Board notes that there has been increased attention to agricultural sector demands at the European level since previous protests.
