<![CDATA[Ara Balears in English - peasantry]]> 10 <![CDATA[After El Caserío: Menorca's countryside resists, but it is no longer the same]]>

Overcoming the traditional dependence on El Caserío that marked the sector until the beginning of the century, Menorca's countryside survives the blows of international politics, the concern caused by price increases due to the war in Iran, and the 22% cut in European CAP aid. The change in land ownership into the hands of foreign investors, such as businessman Víctor Madera, has prevented the premature abandonment of dozens of farms and has reinforced the sector's commitment to other types of agricultural exploitation that have given it new momentum.

]]> <![CDATA[Agama: now they will graze the chalets]]>

It was clear for months that Agama wasn't going to end well. And so it was. One of the emblems of the island's agribusiness is going under.One more peak, the question is as simple as it is demoralizing: how can a product of the land in a country that constantly asserts its identity not be viable?

]]> <![CDATA[Tractor protest and Spanish nationalism]]> The tractor protests carried out separately by Mallorcan farmers this past Thursday against the agreement between the European Union and Mercosur have produced very telling images. They were so expressive that they go far beyond the rejection of an agreement that will have very serious consequences—not only economic, but also environmental—and which represents another blow to a sector, to a countryside, already quite battered, especially in the Balearic Islands. The reality is that even in the face of this frontal attack, Mallorcan farmers have not been able to unite. And this not only weakens them, but is also profoundly significant. Because the largest tractor protest, the one led by the ever-conservative Asaja, had little to do with protest and a lot to do with a Torrente movie. A posh lunch at a popular restaurant is, at the very least, a curious way to demonstrate, to protest. It seemed more like a calculated performance: pretending to protest without causing too much of a stir against an agreement that the People's Party—the party of the regional Minister of Agriculture and a long-time leader of Asaja itself—voted in favor of in Europe. It's also revealing that the Mallorcan tractor drivers didn't demonstrate when the Catalan farmers did, during the second week of January, precisely when the Mercosur agreement was at its peak. That was an explicit act of turning their backs on the Catalan peasantry. However, it should be remembered that neither the more progressive union Unió de Pagesos nor the organic farmers of Apaema joined the gargantuan gathering; they held their own demonstration and, moreover, issued statements supporting the demands of the Catalan farmers. In any case, this lack of solidarity with Catalonia is not without reason. Here, as always, it has a clear political meaning. The largest tractor protest, the one that culminated in a picnic, was laden with Spanish flags. They display them at every tractor protest. And Vox is not only a regular presence, but they know perfectly well they can reap significant benefits. While the far right is currently acting as the self-appointed guardian of Palma's libraries, demanding a count of books in Catalan and Spanish—even though librarians have already demonstrated that there are many more in Spanish: 150,004 to 86,945—the anti-Catalan rhetoric is once again proving highly effective.

]]> <![CDATA["Without farmers there is no countryside, and without the countryside there is no Menorca."]]>

Just over a hundred farmers gathered this Thursday at midday at the Mercadal fairgrounds to reject the cuts the European Union wants to apply to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), to say enough is enough to "empty promises" and excessive bureaucracy from the administrations, and above all, to demand recognition of their unique island needs. The manifesto, read by the presidents of Agrame, Luis Nadal; Fagme, Catalina Pons; and Unió de Pagesos, Margalida Llambias, calls for "justice" in the form of fair prices that provide greater profitability for farms, decisive support for local production and the Menorcan agri-food industry, and agricultural policies that guarantee generational renewal and a future for the sector. "Without farmers there is no countryside, and without countryside there is no Menorca," they chanted in unison, to the applause of the attendees and the dozen or so tractors that had traveled to the center of the island. Unlike previous protests and tractor demonstrations that years ago brought the main road to a standstill, this time the agricultural organizations and cooperatives of Menorca opted for a "responsible" demonstration, without blocking the island's activity, but making their voices heard. "Responsible" protest

"We are here to defend our right to live off the land, to produce quality food, and to continue caring for the territory, the landscape, and food sovereignty," they announced. But they also complained about the "critical situation" they face, where "the lack of profitability of farms, the constant increase in production costs, bureaucratic and regulatory pressure, and unfair competition from international trade agreements are suffocating the countryside."

]]> <![CDATA[Unió de Pagesos de Mallorca calls for the support of local councils to protect the primary sector and reject the Mercosur treaty]]>

The Unió de Pagesos de Mallorca (Mallorca Farmers' Union) has launched a campaign this week targeting all the island's municipalities to defend the primary sector at a critical time. The organization has submitted a motion urging local councils to take a stand against the effects of... the trade agreement with Mercosurto demand compensation for the new CAP and to simplify access to aid for professional farmers.

]]> <![CDATA[Benditas de Muro, the memory of a vanished peasantry]]>

Saint Anthony is the patron saint of animals and, by extension, of farmers. Muro is the town that most proudly celebrates this status of the bearded saint on his feast day (January 17). They do so with elaborate and well-attended blessings, which are the culmination of the great winter festival of the Part Forana region, celebrated with traditional songs, tambourines, and bonfires. Now, the Consell de Mallorca (Island Council of Mallorca) has declared these celebrations an Intangible Cultural Heritage Asset (BIC). Their history can be followed in the book recently published by researcher Damià Payeras Capó, entitled Saint Anthony, popular devotion and festival in Muro. "There is documentary evidence," he says, "that these celebrations have been held in the municipality since the 18th century, although they are surely older. It was the time when all the farmers adorned their altars and took them to be blessed to ensure that they would be protected throughout the year."

]]> <![CDATA[Up to 56 organic farms plant more than 2,400 climate-resistant fruit trees in two years]]>

A total of 56 organic farms in Mallorca have planted 2,424 fruit trees during the first two years of the 'Mallorca en Fruit' project. This initiative, promoted by Apaema and funded by the Mallorca Preservation Foundation, allows farmers to establish new plantations with minimal financial investment, while simultaneously strengthening the resilience of organic agriculture by prioritizing projects that use local varieties adapted to climate change. The main objective of the project "is to stimulate and promote fruit tree projects rather than simply focusing on the number of trees planted," explain sources at Apaema. The financial contributions are intended as a catalyst for launching productive activities that can ultimately expand. All of this is aimed at "recovering and ensuring a future for the production and marketing of local fruit, which is clearly in decline."

]]> <![CDATA[GEN-GOB denounces the new agrarian law as a "death sentence" for the peasantry in the Islands.]]>

The environmental group GEN-GOB has sent a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture requesting the withdrawal of the draft agricultural law, which is currently undergoing public consultation. They argue that the Balearic Islands Government "intends to deliver the final blow to the farming community," making it a target for investment funds and tourism companies to incorporate into "the islands' over-developed tourism sector," exacerbating the problem of dependence on tourism and "relegating farming to a marginal activity."

]]> <![CDATA["I get angry when I'm invited to a panel discussion because I'm a woman."]]>

What is a typical day like for you in the field?

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