MILAN, January 8 – Farmers from across Italy are preparing for a major demonstration in Milan on Friday, January 9, to voice their strong opposition to the Mercosur trade agreement. The protest, spearheaded by the Coordination of Italian Farmers and Fishermen, seeks to challenge the free trade deal between the European Union and South American countries, which aims to reduce or eliminate customs duties.
Farmers Demand Fair Prices and Food Security
The demonstration will see participants, including the Autonomous Italian Farmers from the province of Alessandria and other regions, converge on Piazza Duca d’Aosta. They are protesting against the potential negative impact of the Mercosur agreement on agricultural incomes and the quality and safety of food products. A key demand from the organizers is for prices that adequately cover production costs, criticizing the growing disparity between what farmers receive and what consumers pay.
Stefano Ponzano, spokesperson for the Autonomous Italian Farmers of Piedmont, emphasized the broad support for the protest: “We are continuing to gather support; participants will arrive from Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Sicily, Campania, and also, independently, from other regions. What distinguishes us is that we are real farmers who represent ourselves. We will also involve consumers because they too will suffer the consequences of the Mercosur agreement. We proclaim the right to healthy and safe food.”
Planned Activities for the Protest
The day’s events in Milan will unfold as follows:
- From 9:00 AM, January 9 – Gathering of over one hundred tractors and ten tankers at Piazzale del Cimitero di Binasco, arriving from various parts of Lombardy, Piedmont, and Emilia Romagna.
- Between 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM – Tractors will depart, traversing Milan to Piazza Duca d’Aosta.
- Approximately 12:30 PM – Arrival at Piazza Duca d’Aosta, followed by the setup of the picket line.
- Between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM – Picket line in front of the Lombardy Region headquarters, where farmers will share their testimonies about the crisis they are facing. An “Action” will be held to explain to citizens and politicians the insufficient recognition of their products and the potential benefits for consumers.
- From 2:30 PM – A coordinated meeting at the picket line by COAPI, discussing initiatives against the EU-Mercosur agreement and proposing a unified national mobilization of producers and citizens. Associations, movements, social forces, and institutional representatives will intervene.
- After the meeting – Leafleting, discussions, and donation of agricultural products to support food banks and citizens in need.
- After 9:00 PM – Tractors and tankers will cross Milan at night, calling for further mobilization.
Ponzano also stated that they are collecting food and products to be distributed in the square and to associations assisting those in need.
Milan was chosen as the symbolic location for this protest due to its representation of the economic contradictions faced by the agricultural sector.
Sources: Coordination of Italian Farmers and Fishermen, Autonomous Italian Farmers of Piedmont.
