As farmers’ frustration becomes increasingly evident, society remains deeply divided. France serves as a prime example of this division. While French farmers are marching to Paris this week to advocate for more lenient environmental regulations, protesters made a unique statement last weekend by splashing the Mona Lisa with soup, demanding stricter regulations.
The competing protests symbolize the ongoing struggle between urban and rural areas. With fewer than two percent of people living on farms today, these two groups no longer even want to understand each other.
All of this was foreseeable. Urban discontent is not primarily directed at farmers themselves. After all, farmers often rank high in terms of public trust, alongside firefighters, teachers, and healthcare professionals. Instead, it’s farming practices that are under scrutiny.
A similar situation exists, albeit to a lesser extent, right here in Canada. The urban-rural divide is widening because governments are imposing urban-centric values without considering the realities of agriculture. The fervent opposition to glyphosate, despite clear scientific evidence, and the introduction of additional environmental taxes without viable ecological and economic alternatives for farmers are just a few examples.
For a long time, it has been evident that urban residents are not particularly concerned about farmers and are inclined to listen to certain alarmist interest groups, some of which are state-funded. It’s quite perplexing.
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