Throughout recent history, there have been numerous protests in Europe from farmers because of situations they have deemed unfair. Roadblocks or boycotting products from other countries have been some of the resources used to make their voices heard. Without going any further, Spanish truckers have suffered during decades to cross the borders separating us from France. But today’s complaints from agricultural producers are without parallel, mainly because they are happening all over the European Union and for the same reasons.
In general terms, one of the main triggers for the last riots of Spanish farmers has been the unequal competition in terms of sustainability regarding products coming from non-European countries. That is because the environmental requirements in the European Union are much stricter regarding their own production than they are in relation to production coming from other countries
«We are forced to leave the 4% of our land fallow and the use of certain phytosanitary products containing copper or sulphur is forbidden, even though they can be useful to fight certain plagues, such as the red spider or the white fly infestations», says Andrés Góngora, responsible for Agricultural Productions of the Coordinating Committee of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations (COAG), one of the most active entities in recent mobilisations in the countryside. «This does not happen in the countries from which we bring a great deal of the fruit and vegetable importation». One of the most palpable consequences of this model, according to Góngora, is «the acceleration of the loss of productive capacity, a negative trend that has led to a 5% drop over the last three years».
A product as unique as the banana from the Canary Islands has been involved in this situation since long before the riots began, due to its competition with bananas from Latin America. Last season, bananas reached their historical commercialisation record, with more than 440 million kilograms sold. Nevertheless, overproduction, the low price of bananas and an increase in production costs (close to 30% over the last two years) have overshadowed a 2023 that could have been very prolific despite the macroeconomic difficulties.
Rotation and Quality
As Sergio Cáceres, Communication Director of Plátano de Canarias, relates, «equal competition occurs in the wholesale market, in which the price of bananas is used as an element of downward pressure in the purchase of bananas.». From there, the problem continues to worsen. The reason, he continues, is that “when it reaches the final consumer, higher sales margins are applied.”
Precisely last year, both Canary Islands plantains and bananas started from a similar wholesale price: around 80 cents per kilogram. However, Canarian plantains were sold in establishments for an average of 2,15 euros and bananas for 1,20 euros. “In this situation, the overproduction of bananas, which have a shelf life of two weeks after harvesting, cut off the rotation,” laments Cáceres.
From Plátano de Canarias, they understand that the European Union should apply labelling that indicates what are the reasons that determine the price of products: carbon footprint, use of fungicides or sustainable agricultural practices, among other factors. In this sense, banana plantations in the Canary Islands scrupulously comply with current regulations, treating pests with biological controls or pheromone traps and, only in extreme cases, applying phytosanitary products that contain any of the six active materials authorized in the EU. «Certain practices are prohibited here, such as aerial fungal applications, while Latin American bananas receive an average of 42 per year», denounces Cáceres.
Added to this are quality criteria based on aesthetics that come into direct conflict with sustainability. According to EU regulations on the commercialisation of agri-food products, damage and scratches on the external area of the fruit supposedly reduce its quality but avoiding them is only possible with the use of chemical products. Here, claims Cáceres, lays one of the main contradictions of the European legislation: «They intend for ecological agriculture to generate spotless food, but nature is neither perfect nor homogeneous ».
All of the above does not mean that Plátano de Canarias considers bananas to be a dangerous product for people’s health. But it is clear it enjoys «competitive advantages in cost savings in cultivation and, in addition, is prioritized by the market itself», says Cáceres.
This problem is closely related to another of the main demands of farmers: reducing excessive bureaucratic paperwork. Here the comparative grievance comes into play again, since non-EU countries do not encounter as many obstacles. All the aforementioned, together with different sustainability criteria, «makes it easier for companies to depart, or lowers costs for buyers, who prefer to import rather than rely on local products», laments Gabriel Trenzado, general director of Agri-Food Cooperatives of Spain.
Maghreb countries also appear among the main beneficiaries of this situation, given that their products have much more competitive prices than European ones. The most representative case is that of tomato. According to data from the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers (Asaja), another organization which is very involved in the mobilizations, while a kilo has production costs of between 25 and 40 cents in the EU, in Morocco it is around 10 cents.
Equitable Distribution
Added to the problem of unequal competition and excessive bureaucracy is the allocation of the European Common Agricultural Policy (PAC) aid that farmers receive. The current system, determined by the extent of the land, favours large farms and leaves small farmers at a disadvantage.
In fact, «20% of the beneficiaries account for 80% of the subsidy budget», denounces Helena Moreno, head of Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems at Greenpeace.
This organization also considers that the PAC does not favour producers’ commitment to environmental care. «Eco-regimes promote sustainable practices that can be done voluntarily and the farmers who implement them receive aid», explains Moreno. However, he adds, «they are only compensated by one, without having the possibility of opting for other items».
Greenpeace has been in direct contact with agricultural organizations to seek a solution to their problems. And although they are aware that there are many currents within the protest movement, they are sure that the commitment to sustainability will be «the lifeline that the industry will have to cling to», according to Moreno, to survive climate change and the scarcity of resources such as water. However, this NGO fears that the institutions’ response to the current protests will be radically different.
In diagnosing the problem, Greenpeace agrees with the bulk of the agricultural sector: It is imperative to combat unfair trade, which allows the arrival of products that use more pesticides than permitted, as well as regulating the agreement Mercosur and prevent final distributors and intermediaries from benefiting the most from price increases and, therefore, exerting even more pressure on producers.
Nevertheless, laments Moreno, authorities «are trying to appease protests by eliminating the policies that were relatively more sustainable, such as crop rotation or minimal soil cover during sensitive periods, which facilitates water retention in drier climates». A dismantling of the European Green Pact would mean, in the long term, «a death sentence for the industry», says Greenpeace’s spokesperson. Unfortunately, he continues, «the market has become globalised, and priority is given to international trade agreements over the livelihood of caring for one’s own agricultural land». In spite of this, he considers that environmental maintenance is by no means incompatible with profitability. Quite the contrary, he says, «it can be key to continuing to generate profits in the future».
Innovative Solutions
The commitment to sustainability involves, therefore, undertaking a radical change in the current production model. And this transformation, as Trenzado points out, «cannot only be legal, but must involve all the actors involved in the market». Among other reasons, he continues, because «it implies a significant investment and the elimination of tools whose use was normalized and guaranteed productivity». And this is precisely where innovation must play a key role.
Spanish companies such as Kiatt, which manages its own assets focusing on various science and technology sectors within the field of venture capital, have focused their recent efforts on investing in technological solutions intended to be used in the land. The most remarkable has been Yard Stick, a tool that, through stratification and sampling techniques, measures soil carbon instantly and economically, saving significant production costs.
In the opinion of Manuel Fuertes, CEO of Kiatt, «the most effective solution for the Spanish countryside involves a push from Brussels for new technological solutions». Fundamentally, he adds, because «science must go ahead of production limitations». And he concludes: «If the EU believes that certain chemicals should not be used, it should plan and implement a research and development project several years in advance that finds viable alternatives and offers technical solutions to farmers».
Other companies like Deoleo, one of the main olive oil distributors in the world, aware of the damage that drought causes to crops, have reached agreements with all their producers to promote more sustainable practices. Thus, its oil mills have 4.0 irrigation systems and remote sensing to optimize water savings. Additionally, to promote soil health, they use plant-based covers that help increase infiltration and fluid retention.
For all these technological disruptions to become real solutions, Fuertes considers it necessary to strengthen the link between «scientific research and the current problems in the countryside». That is, he thinks, the only way to «achieve full sustainability in the industry.».
