Opinion Farmers everywhere are rising in protest. Governments must pay attention

Meanwhile, in Europe, Dutch dairy farmers held their iconic milk protests, blocking highways and supermarkets, protesting low milk prices and demanding fair compensation for their labour. Their plight resonates with Spanish olive growers facing similar challenges, highlighting the vulnerabilities of small-scale farmers across the continent. Recently, in France, lakhs of farmers had surrounded the capital, laying siege to many highways and airports of the country. Across the Atlantic, in Brazil, indigenous communities and small farmers are uniting against capitalist corporate giants of agribusiness, their struggle emblematic of the global land rights struggle. Their resistance against deforestation and corporate encroachment is adding another layer to the story of farmers’ struggles, weaving a tale of environmental and social justice.

There are unsettling similarities in the issues plaguing farmers around the world, the fabric of their struggle woven with threads of exploitation, marginalisation and broken promises. Where volatile markets make them sensitive to price fluctuations, they get very low prices for their produce while consumers pay exorbitant prices. Corporate integration into the food system coupled with exploitative market forces squeezes farmers, leaving them with marginal profits. A 2020 Oxfam report found that farmers receive only 1–8 per cent of the final retail price of food. In times of competition, corporate consolidation concentrates power in the hands of a few, driving small farmers out of the market. Climate change adds another layer of uncertainty, threatening crop yields and livelihoods. The debt burden on farmers everywhere is heavy.

In India, farmer suicides remain a grim reality, a reminder of the frustration caused by increasing financial pressures. Farmers often face heavy debt due to high input costs (seeds, fertilisers, pesticides) and unpredictable market prices. A 2022 World Bank report estimates that 500 million smallholder farmers globally are trapped in the debt cycle.

Land eviction in the name of industrialisation and infrastructure development also remains a big problem for farmers. Corporations and governments acquiring land and displacing farmers without any rehabilitation policy are destroying their livelihoods and cultural heritage. According to the Land Matrix Initiative, more than one million hectares of farmers’ land was taken away globally between 2016 and 2020. Irregular weather patterns, droughts and floods destroy crops, threaten food security and push farmers into poverty. The World Bank estimates that climate change could push an additional 26 million people into poverty by 2030, primarily in rural areas. Smallholder farmers often lack access to essential resources such as water, credit and information, adversely affecting their productivity and resilience. The FAO estimates that 3.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and 2.3 billion do not have access to basic sanitation, with disproportionate impacts on rural communities.

Governments should not ignore this global rebellion. History shows that when farmers and labourers, fed up with exploitation, raise their voices against the government, they can overthrow it, be it during the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Chinese Revolution under the leadership of Mao or the Indian Peasant Movement. In all three situations, there was significant rural discontent arising from poverty, land distribution issues, and exploitation by powerful elites. In Russia, landless peasants and agricultural workers faced harsh conditions under Tsarist rule. In China, farmers were under the rule of oppressive landlords and feudal lords, whereas in India, farmers are struggling with low crop prices, debt burden and inadequate government support amid a capitalist system.

In all the global revolutions that have taken place, collective action has played an important role in challenging the status quo. The movements of farmers and workers are not limited to just protests and strikes. If the problems of farmers are not addressed in time, it will have dire consequences. The seeds of change are being sown — now is the time to nurture them, develop global conversations and work together to build a future where farmers thrive, communities thrive. The earth can be nourished and taken care of continuously. The fight for farmers’ rights is not just about protecting their livelihoods; it is about securing our collective food future. It is a fight for a better future for us and future generations. Their demands are not just about economic security; they represent a call for a more just and sustainable food system that values farmers as stewards of the land and recognises their vital role in feeding the world. It is time for the government too to ignore the powerful vested interests standing in the way and reform systems. This is a step towards realising the vision of an inclusive and equitable society where every farmer will be empowered to live with dignity and prosperity.

Tyagi is a former member of Parliament and Nehwal is an agripreneur