Why are Farmer’s Protesting Globally and in India- Explained Pointwise

Farmer’s protest In India is not a standalone phenomenon, as Farmer’s Protest has been on the rise globally as well. Farmers in at least 65 countries of the world have rose up in protest since January 2023. The map below demonstrates the instances of Farmer’s Protest both Globally and in India.

What are the reasons behind the Farmer’s protest Globally?

South American Nations Protests

1. Better export Exchange rate to counter the economic downturn- Farmers in 67 per cent of countries in South America region have been protesting over the demand for better export exchange rates for their crops.

2. Unfair competition in the agricultural market due to GM crops- The GM crops have induced unfair competition in the agricultural markets, which have adversely impacted the farmers. For ex- Brazilian Farmer’s Protest against GM crops.

3. Higher Production costs and low-cost imports- The production costs of agriculture has shot up globally. For ex- Venezuelan Farmer’s Protests demanding subsidised diesel in agriculture.

4. Vagaries of Climate Change- Climate Change has interfered with the global rainfall patterns and has led to droughts and blizzards, which has impacted agricultural productivity and production. For ex- Demands of Farmers in Argentina demanding compensation for the devastating drought.

European Nations Protest

1. Low cost agricultural Imports from Ukraine – The European countries have allowed low cost agricultural imports from Ukraine, which has led to depressed agricultural prices for the domestic farmers in the European countries. For ex- Farmer’s protests in France to limit agricultural imports from Ukraine.

2. Against European Govt policies making agriculture sector easy target for climate goals- The agriculturalists in developed countries have been protesting against their government’s making the farmers and the farming sector ‘easy targets’ to enforce emissions cut for meeting national climate goals. For ex- Protest of Ireland farmer’s against government’s decision to cull some 200,000 cows over the course of three years for meeting the country’s climate emission goals.

3. Tough environmental standards of EU- The tougher environmental standards for agricultural products in EU countries, has hampered the export potential of European farmers.

African Nations Protests

1. Oppressive and unfair Government Policies- The protests in African countries have been mainly centred around the oppressive government policies. For ex- Cocoa Farmer’s protests in Benin, against the sale of the cocoa plantations to foreign companies. Protest of Farmer’s in Cameroon against the government ban on cocoa exports to Nigeria. Protest of Coffee farmers in Kenya against delicensing of most private millers in the county.

Note: The Ivory Coast and Ghana are the two largest producers of cocoa accounting for more than 50 percent of the world´s cocoa.

2. Concerns of African women farmers- As there has been increasing feminisation of agriculture in the African countries, women farmers have taken to the streets for the fulfilment of their demands. For ex- The women farmers protest in Nigeria on the challenges they continue to face across the country in the course of farming.

What are the demands for which farmers are protesting in India?

1. Guaranteed MSP- Farm union leaders want a MSP Guarantee law to ensure assured state support in the form of minimum purchase price for crops. Presently, MSP based purchases benefit just around 7% of farmers. (Shanta Kumar Committee Report).

2. Implementation of the Swaminathan Committee MSP Formula- The farmers have also been demanding the determination of MSP in accordance with the Dr M S Swaminathan Commission’s report.

3. Withdrawal from WTO- Farmer’s in India are protesting against the WTO’s cap on agricultural subsidies. Farmers are demanding India’s withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and freeze on all free trade agreements.

4. Enhanced Compensation during farm land acquisition- The farmers are seeking four times compensation and written consent from farmers before the land acquisition.

5. Increase in MGNREGA wages- Indian Farmers are demanding the linkage of MGNREGA with farming. They are also demanding to increase in number of guaranteed work days to 200 from 100, and daily wages to Rs 700.

6. Assured Pensions- The farmer’s in India have also been demanding assured pensions to farmers, to provide safety income-net during the old age.

7. Withdrawal of cases lodged during the Farmer’s Protest of 2020-21- Farmers have also cited the reason of non-withdrawal of cases registered during the last farmer’s agitation in 2020-21.

What should be the way forward to handle the issue of Farmer’s Protest in India?

1. Implementation of a national Price Deficiency Payment Scheme- Both NITI Aayog and Economic Survey have recommended Price Deficiency Payment schemes, in which the government pays the farmers the difference between modal rate (the average prices in major mandis) and the MSPs. For ex- Price deficiency payment schemes of Madhya Pradesh (Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana), Haryana (Bhavantar Bharapai Yojana) can be launched as Central Sector Scheme.

2. Interest free loans to small and Medium Farmers- Interest-free lending to small and medium farmers will help them in countering the rising cost of production and will make the agriculture sector more remunerative.

3. Promotion of Co-operative Farming- Governments must provide all possible assistance for cooperative farming and cooperative-owned agro-processing industrial units. For ex- Success of 68,000 landless women’s cooperatives operating in Kerala whose net economic profit is five times more than other agricultural organisations.

4. Gradual expansion of crops under MSP- The government must gradually expand the list of crops eligible for MSP support, to encourage crop diversification and reduce the dominance of rice and wheat. This will provide farmers with more choices and promote the cultivation of crops in line with market demand.

5. Support to the Farmer’s Producers Organisations (FPOs)- Adequate financial support to FPOs, would result in better price realisation for farmers. For ex- Aim to replicating the success of AMUL in agriculture through FPOs.