Farmers around the world ready to be heard

In Europe, frustrations over proposed environmental regulations, the importation of grain from Ukraine and proposed reductions in subsidies are some of the grievances that have driven mass protest action this year alone, across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Germany.

According to global data analytics firm Verisk Maplecroft, there has been a 300 per cent increase in farmers protests in Europe this year so far, compared to 2023 as a whole.

Of the 5728 farmers' protests logged globally by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data for 2024 up until late April, more than 4000 were in Europe.

Just this week in Belgium dairy farmers from various European countries took to the streets of Brussels to protest low milk prices, wheeling life-size plastic cows along as they marched between the headquarters of the European Parliament and the European Commission.

More drastic protest activity is also expected next week in Brussels, with the Dutch Farmers Defence Force and other farmers unions from different European nations joining for a day of action on June 4, with organisers predicting 3000 tractors will be out for the occasion.

The protest comes ahead of the European Union elections scheduled for June 6 to June 9.

While the European farmer protests have seen tyres set on fire, tractors used to block highways and manure dumped in the streets, the Keep the Sheep campaign is based on a less disruptive ethos.

Australian Livestock Exporters Council CEO Mark Harvey-Sutton said the peaceful campaign hoped to encourage city supporters to back farmers.

"We know that Western Australians support their farmers," he said.

"I think people in the city of Perth will be extremely disappointed to hear that Labor MPs in Western Australia have failed to stand up for their state and we want to send a message asking for people's support."

At the recent Agricultural Industry Budget Breakfast, the National Farmers Federation and other industry groups staged a walk out over the live sheep export ban.

National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke said the NFF had never staged a walkout before, but it was a message they felt had to be delivered.

"Our members passing a vote of no confidence in the government was equally significant, being something we haven't done in 39 years," he said.

"It takes a lot for farmers to leave their farms and travel huge distances to protest. It demonstrates just how frustrated farmers are feeling and there is a growing feeling that we need to be more assertive in our advocacy.

"All we want is to get on with the job of growing food and fibre.

"We love what we do and it's in our best interests to care for our livestock, the environment and our people."

Mr Jochinke said at a time when global food insecurity is deepening and economic challenges are growing, the agricultural industry was asking governments to start listening to them and to simply keep farmers farming.

"What we are seeing in Australia and across the globe is a groundswell of farmers fed up with governments not listening to them and introducing poor policy based on misinformed ideology from vocal minorities," he said.

"I think if every day Australians knew just how much red tape and rules were being thrown at farmers, they'd be shocked.

"Other businesses and industries wouldn't stand for government interventions cancelling their markets, introducing new taxes and creating rules that are nonsensical or need lawyers to decipher.

"But that's exactly what's happening in Australian agriculture, the live sheep trade is being taken away, a biosecurity tax is being proposed despite farmers already paying their way, and changes to workforce laws are a minefield."

The Australia Institute's director of democracy and accountability Bill Browne said the Western Australia protest fits with Australia's history of civil disruption.

"Australia has a long history of non-violent protests, and they are sometimes disruptive - whether it is trade unionists stopping "ships of shame" at port, anti-apartheid activists interrupting sporting events, or farmers and climate activists blocking roads," he said.

"Blockades by Australian farmers against gas and coal have successfully put pressure on governments to cancel fossil fuel projects and limit destructive gas "fracking"."