Between farmers and the European Union, the "détente" lasted a few months. The financing granted by Brussels to South African winemakers broke the fragile truce, causing growing discontent, starting with French producers.

It all started with an EU fund, implementing a previous agreement dating back 20 years and intended to promote inclusive growth, unlock new business opportunities and support the development of owned brands, farms, education and businesses across the wine and spirits value chain. A 15 million euro project, intended for a country outside the EU and Europe, South Africa, to be precise, the 7th largest wine producer in the world, and certainly not classifiable among developing countries in the strict sense.

“One of our strategic pillars,” explains Rico Basson , CEO of South Africa Wine, a non-profit organisation aimed at strengthening and promoting the wine and brandy supply chain in South Africa, “is to drive inclusivity and growth in the wine industry through targeted programmes that support black farmers, invest in people’s development and champion ethical trade. This EU funding is a major injection that will help accelerate momentum and increase impact where it is most needed. It’s about creating more opportunities and building long-term success for our sector.” The funds will be managed by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, in partnership with the Land Bank (€10 million) and the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC).

It is easy to imagine the discontent of European winemakers, tested in the last two years by downy mildew and the damage caused by bad weather, which caused the "annus horribilis" of 2023, while today, after a 2024 recovery, they have to deal with the new wave of US and Chinese duties. From France, traditional forerunner of all forms of demonstrations and protests, more trenchant words than ever are coming from producers. "At a time when we are experiencing a serious crisis, I find this decision unacceptable and a real provocation for the European wine industry", especially at a time when the category is asking for "reserve credits" to support winemakers in crisis, comments Jérôme Despey , president of the specialized wine council of FranceAgriMer to a transalpine trade newspaper.

"There is not a single wine-growing region that does not protest against this subsidy for a sector that competes with ours and is not a member of the Union", comments Jean-Marie Fabre , president of the Independent Winegrowers of France. "All this should give the Commission the opportunity to refocus on actions for its sector, which must be helped and supported. The Commission must be put back at the heart of Europe".