French Farmers’ Protests: Almost 6 in 10 Support Highway Blockades

French farmers, the EU’s biggest agricultural producer, have taken to the highways, blocking major routes to Paris, citing grievances over low pay and stifling regulations. Concerns include rising costs, unfair competition from imports, and environmental red tape.

Despite government concessions on diesel taxes and promises to reduce bureaucracy, farmers continue to protest. With tensions escalating, the government vows further action, seeking EU support for concessions.

Amidst this backdrop of unrest, Real Research, an online survey app, conducted a survey to gather insights and opinions on the 2024 French farmers’ protest.

Here are the key findings of the survey report:

• 58.56% supported the blockade of highways by French farmers as a legitimate form of protest.
• 72.34% believe that the French government is not adequately compensating its farmers.
• 67.04% agreed that foreign competitors lower costs by using unethical and health-risking methods.

Survey on the French Farmers’ Protest

Of the respondents, 66.12% were aware of the farmers’ protests, while 33.88% were unaware.

In detail, French farmers blocked the highways in France and Belgium, disrupting day-to-day activities. To this, opinions were divided on the appropriateness of the French farmers’ protest tactics. While 58.56% of respondents supported the blockade of highways as a legitimate form of protest, 41.44% opposed it.

Why Are French Farmers Protesting?

The 2024 French farmers’ protest was mainly for raising their concerns over not being paid enough.  According to the survey findings, a significant majority (72.34%) believe that the French government is not adequately compensating its farmers while 27.66% do not.

French Farmers vs. Imports

The survey also sought opinions on the impact of foreign competition on French farmers. A substantial majority, accounting for 67.04% of respondents, agreed with the assertion that foreign competitors engage in “unethical” and “health-risking methods” to produce and sell products at lower costs, thereby undercutting local produce. 32.96%, however, disagreed.

The French Government Aid

Lastly, respondents exhibited cautious optimism towards government initiatives aimed at alleviating farmers’ hardships, with 69.68% believing that the promised aid of 150 million euros to livestock farmers and tax reductions for farms could indeed benefit the agricultural sector. However, 30.32% remained skeptical.