The past few weeks have seen farmers’ protests erupting in France and then spreading throughout Europe. What exactly are the goals or demands of those protests, how did they originate, and how did they spread so easily from one country to the next?

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan contends that the protests result from European Union funding and regulatory changes that will harm European farmers. Unfortunately, Zeihan indicates, the EU’s decisions were probably necessary.

The following is an excerpt from Peter’s March 4 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

If you’ve seen the videos of tractors driving through city centers and spraying manure on government buildings, then you’re well aware of the farmer protests happening throughout Europe… but why are they protesting?

The protests, which started in France, are in response to regulatory changes and reduced funding for agriculture in the EU. The Common Agricultural Program has seen drastic cuts to funding and increased restrictions facing farmers.

Despite Europe being a very strong agricultural zone, countries like the U.S. and Brazil stack on the pressure for these European farmers with their higher yields and lower price points. We’ll continue to monitor and release updates as this situation unfolds.