French farmers express dissatisfaction with current protests due to differing regulations

Yves Coppé, a farmer in France, is deeply concerned about the challenges facing farmers in his country and beyond. He inherited a farm of 300 hectares from his parents and is troubled by issues such as the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of baguettes. Coppé recently participated in nationwide protests where farmers blocked French motorways with tractors and hay bales. He believes that such demonstrations are necessary to attract the attention of the government. One of his worries is the upcoming Olympic Games, as it will block the River Seine, which farmers rely on for transportation. Furthermore, he is concerned about the impending retirement of half of French farmers in the next decade, and the industry's inability to recruit enough young farmers to replace them. Coppé questions who would choose farming as a profession in today's challenging environment, with low profits, rising machinery prices, and a significant amount of paperwork. His underlying concern is the unfair competition French farmers face, both within the European Union and beyond its borders. Coppé highlights that products from distant countries are sold at lower prices than French produce, while also mentioning the impact of new EU rules requiring farmers to leave their land unused for ecological reasons. He argues that this set-aside rule is impractical and detrimental to farmers' economic viability. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has responded to the farmers' protests by promising to regain sovereignty over food production and strengthen import controls. Coppé acknowledges the prime minister's willingness to listen to their concerns but remains cautious about changes being approved at the European level. He is still worried about the fate of all the missing baguettes due to these challenges.