Case study 1: Disinformation narratives and the 2024 European farmers’ protests 3/5

Adaptation to local contexts

What made these disinformation efforts particularly effective was their ability to adapt to national circumstances. In Spain, for instance, narratives blamed the government for water shortages, falsely claiming dams were intentionally destroyed during droughts. In Poland, disinformation exploited the war in Ukraine, alleging that EU support for Ukraine led to unfair competition in agriculture due to “unsafe” Ukrainian grain imports. Italy saw the spread of stories about government-led land grabs and misleading statistics on CO₂ emissions to downplay human contributions to climate change.

In Germany and the Netherlands, narratives emphasized EU overreach and promoted fears around artificial meat and new food technologies. These localised disinformation campaigns reflected pre-existing political and social tensions, enabling them to resonate more strongly with national audiences. Although rooted in similar core messages, the narratives were rebranded to match cultural and political sensitivities across different countries.