Global Peasant Organizations Stand With French Farmers Facing Criminalization

On January 14, 2026, 52 farmers from the Confédération Paysanne were detained following a peaceful occupation of the Ministry of Agriculture in Paris. The action aimed to denounce the systematic neglect of small-scale agriculture, demand the democratization of French agricultural policies, and raise awareness of the severe consequences of the European Union-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement. Among those detained was a significant delegation of farmers from the DROMs (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte, and French Guiana), who also denounced the neocolonial treatment they receive from the French government and the deeply unequal distribution of European aid. The intervention of the BRavM, a police unit specialized in repression, represented a level of criminalization that, according to French farmers themselves, had never been seen before in the country for an action of this nature. Nevertheless, the repressive response did not silence the cause: in the days that followed, peasant organizations around the world raised their voices in solidarity, demanding the immediate release of all those detained. From Indonesia, the Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI), the Indonesian Peasants’ Union, was among the first to speak out. In a statement issued from Jakarta, SPI expressed its “full, firm, and unconditional solidarity” with French farmers, declaring forcefully: “The attack on the French farmers of the Confédération Paysanne is an attack on the entire global peasant movement!” The Indonesian organization also denounced the criminalization as a direct violation of the UNDROP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants). Soon after, the Southeast and East Asia region of La Via Campesina released a solidarity statement denouncing the French government’s dismissive attitude, as well as the systematic violation of union rights and the criminalization suffered by members of the Confédération Paysanne. The statement emphasized that those detained were exercising their right to peaceful protest, expressing legitimate indignation over the management of the DNC crisis (contagious nodular dermatitis, an emerging viral epidemic affecting cattle) and the signing of the EU–Mercosur agreement, which further deepens the precariousness of peasant labor. From Africa, the Kenyan Peasants League also expressed solidarity through a public message, condemning the detention of the 52 farmers, including Morgan Ody, General Coordinator of La Via Campesina and member of the ECVC Coordinating Committee, who were participating in the peaceful occupation of France’s Ministry of Agriculture. The European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) strongly condemned the detention of the 52 farmers in Paris and reaffirmed their demands. It also denounced the obstruction of media coverage during the events and called on the French government and European institutions to respect peasants’ right to protest, address the legitimate demands of the Confédération Paysanne, and refrain from repressing those who challenge the status quo. The Latin American Coordination of Rural Organizations – Via Campesina (CLOC-VC) also expressed its firm support for the farmers of the Confédération Paysanne, both in continental France and the DROMs, who peacefully occupied the Ministry of Agriculture. The statement expressed support for a deep and immediate revision of the POSEI program, so that public resources no longer favor large agribusiness groups but instead provide fair and redistributive support to those producing food for the people. “Aid must be democratized, limited in concentration, and oriented toward food sovereignty, social justice, and the agroecological transition,” the statement concluded. Ultimately, the 52 detained farmers, including Morgan Ody and spokespersons from the Confédération Paysanne, were released on Thursday, January 15, without charges. Their release ended the arbitrary detention, highlighted the importance of defending peasants’ rights to organize and express themselves, and reaffirmed that the struggle of French farmers is part of the global fight for agricultural justice, agroecology, and the empowerment of rural communities.