In the context of the growing protests in the agricultural sector in Europe, and the growing unease of producers with agricultural policies, the SWIFT project, whose main objective is to eliminate all kinds of inequality in agriculture in Europe, stands in solidarity with and supports the demands and actions carried out by small farmers who raise their voices to make visible and demand the existing injustices that are the main cause of the expulsion of small producers in Europe. In particular, project partners such as the Sindicato Labrego Galego or Isa Álvarez, from URGENCI, have highlighted the focus of the problem, which we want to contribute to make visible. We also support the document published by the Ramaderes de Catalunya, which in our view also helps to understand the focus of the problem faced by producers.

The Sindicato Labrego Galego issued a communiqué on 2 February, in which it assesses the current mobilisations and sets out its position. The union stresses the importance of food as a basic human right and advocates an agroecological model that safeguards food sovereignty. They denounce the neoliberal capitalist agrarian policies that consider food as commodities, promoting intensive and polluting agro-industrial models. The SLG joins the mobilisations all over Europe, demanding fair prices and measures to alleviate bureaucratic burdens for small and medium-sized farms.

In a joint declaration, the Ramaderes de Catalunya expressed their concern about increases in production costs, rising fuel prices and extreme weather conditions. They criticise the control exercised by large agri-food chains and supermarkets, calling for a change towards an agro-ecological model focused on proximity and sustainability.

Both collectives stress the urgency of concrete measures, such as guaranteeing fair prices, reducing bureaucracy (“Foc als papers”, according to Ramaderes) and reviewing unfavourable trade agreements. They also call for the protection of land, water and biodiversity as common goods, requesting the active involvement of administrations to ensure a sustainable future for agriculture, away from market-based approaches and in favour of large distributors.

An article by Isa Álvarez entitled “The anger of the countryside”, published in Viento Sur highlights the current situation in Spain and the importance of addressing the concerns of the sector. Isa helps to understand that the demands in the mobilisations are not the same, and while some take to the streets to demand a change in a model that is suffocating them, others seek to perpetuate it. She also highlights the masculinisation of the mobilisations, and the invisibility in the mobilisations of those tasks and people “essential for the chain to continue functioning”, such as women’s day labourers.

The SWIFT Project stands in solidarity with these causes and reiterates its commitment to the defence of rights and dignified conditions for producers. The current situation of the agricultural sector in Europe demands a collective response, and SWIFT joins the position of the SLG and Ramaderes, focusing on denouncing abuses and protecting the rights of those who work in the primary sector.