Editorial: Liberation

• The farmer's despair is being felt across Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Romania.
• French farmers have blockaded the A64 highway near Toulouse for four days as a form of protest.
• The government has postponed its bill due to the heightening restlessness, signaling enduring structural problems in European agriculture.
• In France, distress in the farming sector has been evident since the 1970s, including a 58% drop in birth rates in farming families and a high rate of leaving the field.
• The agricultural sector has recorded a high suicide rate, with more than 150 victims a year.
• Recent measures, including pressure from big retailers, a decrease in EU aid, and new Green Deal standards have exacerbated the situation.
• Promises made by Emmanuel Macron in 2017, including boosting farmers' bargaining power and reviewing all unnecessary norms, are yet to be fulfilled seven years later.

Conclusion: The unrest and crisis in the farming sector in Europe, and particularly in France, signals enduring structural issues that are not being adequately addressed.

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