Furious farmers: French roads blocked by tractors in protest over ‘agribashing’

Farmers blocked the A4 highway near Strasbourg, eastern France yesterday during a demonstration called by farming unions against declining revenue, the ban of the use of pesticides near homes, and socalled “agribashing” – a new phenomena in which farmers face insults, smears and attacks posted by activists on social media.

In a statement, the unions said the protest was directed at: “Agribashing, which damages the image of our daily business, trade agreements aimed at importing food that we do not want and distortions of competition that are slowly killing French agriculture.”