Tens of thousands of people—and more than 100 tractors—swarmed the streets of Berlin this weekend to demand a food system transformation nourished by political policies that foster ecological farming.
“Farmers and consumers from all over Europe have made it clear that they are fed up with current policies that benefit huge food and agriculture corporations, at the expense of the environment, peasant farming, and public safety,” said Adrian Bebb, food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe, and among the estimated 33,000 that took part in the Saturday march.
“Policymakers at the European and national level need to listen, and use the upcoming reform of the EU’s common agricultural policy to build a better food system for the future,” he added.
According to the more than 100 groups that organized the march, policies must shift so that industrial agriculture is dumped in favor climate- and farmer-friendly practices.
A good place to start they say, is by banning the controversial weedkiller Roundup.
“Food is political—more and more people realize this. But politicians nurture an agricultural sector that detrimentally affects the environment and animals in the name of productivity,” said Jochen Fritz, a spokesperson for the organizers.
The demonstration took place as International Green Week, an major agricultural exposition, kicked off in the German capital.
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