Hundreds of tractors rolled into Paris early on Tuesday morning as French farmers protest against the trade deal the European Union has struck with four South American countries. The long-delayed trade pact with the Mercosur bloc was approved by the EU last week and is due to be signed on Saturday. Farmers in France and several other countries fear being undercut by an influx of cheap beef and other products from South America.
Thousands of Irish farmers have taken to the streets to protest against a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur, a day after a majority of EU member states gave provisional approval to the long-negotiated accord. In the central town of Athlone, tractors streamed onto roads on Saturday as farmers from across Ireland gathered to demonstrate against the deal, holding placards reading Stop EU-Mercosur and shouting slogans accusing European leaders of sacrificing their interests.
You know, considering how the U.S. is famous for our cowboys, cattle auctions, and New York strips, it probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that the U.S. has the rest of the world beat in terms of beef production. According to the USDA, last year, we alone produced 20% of the global supply, which translates to about 12.29 million metric tons (27.09 billion pounds).
