French President Emmanuel Macron urged farmers to remain calm after a small group disrupted France's annual agricultural fair on Saturday.
Tractors drove into Paris, leading to clashes between a dozen farmers and police at the fairground.
"I urge everyone to stay calm," Macron said after meeting with farmers' unions, stressing that violence only hinders progress.
Addressing the agricultural crisis, he insisted that resolving tensions would take time and could not be achieved overnight.
"The agricultural crisis cannot be solved in a few hours. It won't be resolved during this fair," the French president said as quoted by Politico.
Macron canceled a debate with farmers' unions and environmental groups following controversy over the invitation of a climate activist group — which he has vehemently denied extending.
Despite that, Macron engaged in spontaneous discussions with farmers and pledged to strengthen controls on fair food pricing negotiations at both national and European levels. He emphasized the importance of Europe maintaining its agricultural strength while transitioning to more sustainable models.
Macron also announced emergency financial support for struggling farms and scheduled a meeting with agricultural representatives in three weeks to solidify measures and commitments for future agricultural progress.
Why Are French Farmers Protesting?
Farmers in France have been protesting since January, blocking highways and dumping manure and waste in front of government buildings across the country, with rallies subsiding somewhat in recent weeks.
The farmers demand recognition of their work as vital and a reversal of the government's agricultural policies, which they say will drive them out of business. In particular, they oppose the import of cheap agricultural products, restrictions on the use of water for irrigation a new increase in diesel fuel prices and other ostensibly green measures, as well as the growing financial burden on farms.
French farmers are numbered among others protesting all over Europe. Farmers in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands are also pushing back against various environmental policies that they see as detrimental to their interests, especially in the face of high inflation and competition from imports.