Credit: Service Jeunesse - Lëtzebuerger Bauerejugend

Luxembourg's young farmers and winegrowers have launched the "Aktioun roude Stiwwel" (red boot action) to express their discontent with the draft bill for the new agricultural law.

Three organisations, the Lëtzebuerger Landjugend a Jongbaueren, the Jongwënzer de la Vinsmoselle and the Service Jeunesse Lëtzebuerger Bauerejugend de la Centrale Paysanne, installed green crosses topped with red boots across the Grand Duchy on the night of 15 to 16 September 2022.

The purpose of the red boot action is to express the discontent of young farmers and winegrowers in relation to the content and circumstances of the drafting of the bill for the new agricultural law. The organisations' first demand as part of this action is that an agricultural summit with Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, Claude Haagen, and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel take place before the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg's parliament) votes on the agricultural law.

The red boot action criticises the Agriculture Ministry's communication with the sector. According to a statement released by the three organisations on Friday 16 September 2022, articles 6 and 7 of the draft agricultural law, which evoke for the first time a limitation of the increase of the herd and introduce a corresponding penalty for increases above this limit, were "the straw that broke the camel's back". The organisations argued that Minister Haagen should communicate in a transparent manner how this decision was made and on what scientific basis each aspect of these articles rests. In addition, they have demanded an exchange with the sector in which intensive reflections on this point can be carried out together.

The organisations also requested that the criteria to be fulfilled in order to be able to benefit from subsidies be strengthened and that incentives be put in place to further improve skills in the agricultural sector.

Another demand of the red boot action is that the national budget be increased so that the public supports the service that it demands and receives. In this context, all food imports from third countries should at least meet European Union (EU) standards.

Moreover, the young winegrowers have demanded an open discussion on the disadvantages and the particular situation of their holdings.

The three organisations behind the action have also appealed to all farmers, agricultural workers and organisations to participate by installing a green cross (1.50 m tall, 1 m wide) with a red boot on their property. The action also appeals to the solidarity of companies such as dairies, slaughterhouses, food traders, concessionaires of agricultural machines and equipment and others who would be affected by a limitation of the production of agricultural farms.

The organisations warned that if the Agriculture Minister fails to respond to the red boot action by 3 October 2022 and commit to discussing these points, other actions would follow.