Farmers make voices heard inside and outside Catalan parliament during agriculture debate

Just a month after the start of the farmers' protests in Catalonia, around 200 farmers demonstrated outside the Catalan parliament to show their dissatisfaction with the government's policies. 

In a noisy rally, the farmers, wielding cowbells and chainsaws, once again protested against bureaucracy, water restrictions and cheap imports. 

"We hope that we will be heard and that politicians wake up once and for all, stop looking at us with suspicion and criminalizing us," said Guillem Pastoret, of the Revolta Pagesa platform. 

The protest coincided with a parliamentary plenary session on agriculture. Climate Action Minister David Mascort said that "64% of the agreements under the government's control" signed in mid-February had already been "implemented or guaranteed". 

During the debate, Catalan president Pere Aragonès told the farmers: "It is better to promise little and deliver everything. That is my commitment."

Many aspects are not in the hands of his government, Aragonès said, but rather controlled in Madrid and Brussels. 

Mascort said that the current Catalan administration has "always" stood by farmers, adding that the sector's demands were "understandable" and "legitimate."

The minister said he was willing to study the introduction of a "basic agricultural income" that prioritizes young farmers and small producers to make the profession "viable."

He urged the parties to find consensus to change the name of his department to include "Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries," which Junts and the Socialists later agreed to.

Farmers' voices heard

Farmers representatives also had the opportunity to address Parliament directly. 

"We are here because of bad management and some disastrous policies in recent years. And the drought was just the last straw," said Imma Puigcorbé of Plataforma Pagesa.

Ramon Sarroca, president of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia (FCAC), criticized Spain's Food Chain Law, saying it "does not represent" farmers.

Joan Carles Massot from young farmers' association JARC said now was the time to establish "a road map" for the next five or ten years.

The Farmers' Union's Joan Caball told politicians that change was up to them: "If you want, it can be done. All you need is political will."

Puigcorbé of the Revolta Pagesa platform said after the debate that she was "disappointed" and did not rule out further protests. 

"We need politicians to move from words to deeds. We can't live on goodwill. We need agreements and actions."  

District offices

Among the measures yet to be implemented are the reintroduction of district offices to help farmers cope with bureaucracy and a drought response plan to help farmers affected by severe water restrictions. 

Moments before the start of the plenary session, government spokesperson Patrícia Plaja called on the parliamentary groups to "abandon partisan positions" and "work together to resolve the farmers' needs". 

Commenting on the recent agreement between the Catalan government and farmers, which included the renaming of the Climate Action Department, Plaja acknowledged procedural hurdles. 

"It cannot be done immediately. There are procedures that have to be followed by the authorities and official websites and papers have to be changed. I cannot say how long it will take, but we will not delay it," she explained. 

In response to questions about the proposed remodeling of the Catalan Water Agency, Plaja assured that they would provide a timely response. 

"Farmers feel that the real impact of the [drought-related] restrictions and its impact on profitability has not been considered, and we have taken that into account," she added. 

In early February, thousands of farmers blocked Catalonia's main roads and then marched to Barcelona, bringing the city to a standstill for a day.

Last week, hundreds of farmers continued to protest across Catalonia, blocking several roads for more than 48 hours. 

Why are farmers protesting?

Red tape is farmers' main concern across Europe. They argue that EU bureaucracy is overly complicated and time-consuming, leading to wasted resources on paperwork. 

Experts note that strict European regulations are affecting farmers' profit margins, with excessive controls on traceability, mandatory training, changing regulations, and challenges in processing subsidies.

While European farmers struggle with burdensome red tape and adhere to strict environmental and food safety laws, a significant portion of the food consumed in the EU is sourced from countries outside the bloc at significantly lower prices.

Catalonia is also experiencing its worst drought on record, and farmers have been facing water restrictions for nearly three years.

Recently, the Catalan government declared a drought emergency in the Ter-Llobregat system, which supplies water to 6 million people. In this area, farmers have had to reduce irrigation by 80% and livestock farmers by half.

To learn more about the farmers' protests, listen to the latest episode of our podcast, Filling the Sink.