Farmers from agricultural regions in Italy, such as Tuscany, have embarked on a tractor convoy towards Rome to join a growing wave of European anger. Carrying hand-written signs bearing slogans like No farmer, No food and flying the Italian flag, the farmers are expected to gather on the outskirts of the capital before further protests later in the week. The grievances expressed by these farmers mirror those of their counterparts in other parts of Europe, including the undercutting of their products by cheaper imports from regions outside the EU, such as North Africa, rising fuel costs, and the impact of EU measures aimed at environmental protection and climate change mitigation.
In other parts of the EU, such as France and Germany, the protests have recently subsided, but they continue to intensify in other regions. On Monday, angry farmers once again blocked the Dutch-Belgian motorway border crossing between Maastricht and Liege. These demonstrations have even reached Milan, Italy’s financial capital, where a small group of farmers took a cow to a protest outside the offices of the Lombardy regional government. This unexpected sight amidst modern high-rise buildings demonstrates the determination of Italian farmers to make their voices heard.
The farmers in Italy are advocating for the reintroduction of an income tax break that was implemented in 2017 but dropped in the 2024 budget law. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking during a visit to Japan, highlighted that Italy has already provided substantial support to its farmers compared to some EU neighbors. She acknowledged the need for continuous improvement and expressed her willingness to listen to the demands of these essential workers. The government has maintained fuel subsidies for farmers and allocated €8 billion, an increase from €5 billion, for agriculture in the post-Covid recovery plan.
Although Italy’s main farming lobby, Coldiretti, which has a close relationship with the government, is not organizing the current protests, various individual farmers groups are leading the demonstrations. As the anger grows among farmers, they are increasingly determined to confront politicians directly and find solutions to their issues.
As European farmers unite in their protests against similar challenges, it remains to be seen whether governments will take decisive action to address their concerns. Italy’s farmers, like their European counterparts, play an integral role in the food supply chain, and their grievances warrant serious attention and resolution.
