The peasant, an anti-GMOs and ex-MEP puts his two cents in the regional elections. In Occitania, José Bové has announced his support for the list led by the current president of the region, Carole Delga. He is on his list in Aveyron, in last position, and is ineligible. The Socialist is nevertheless in favor of the motorway link between Toulouse and Castres, and carries with the region the expansion of the port of Port-la-Nouvelle, in the Aude. Two projects strongly criticized by environmental associations and the Confédération paysanne, an agricultural union that José Bové helped to create.
Reporterre – Why support Carole Delga’s list in the regional elections (June 20 and 27) ?
José Bové – When I got involved with Carole Delga for the regional ones, she knew very well that I was not included anywhere and that I was not necessarily in agreement with all the positions of the majority.
But for me, there are two main motivations. The first is the fight against the National Rally (RN) in Occitania. It makes a very strong push on the Mediterranean coast and also nibbles the north of Toulouse. Especially since during the past five years, the majority of the Region was plural, with environmentalists in particular. It would have seemed normal to me that there was a common list from the first round to clearly show that the dynamic continues.
My second motivation is that on a certain number of major subjects – agriculture, food, energy – things have changed. We arrived at 40 % of organic and local agriculture in high schools, with a target of 75 % before the end of the next term. The region’s energy project was piloted by the Négawatt association, with the objective of being self-sufficient in renewable energies by 2035 to 2040. Regarding agriculture, even before we talk about it at the national level, it there was a regional plant protein autonomy project. Both for animals and for human consumption.
You had supported the opponents to the expansion project of the port of Port-la-Nouvelle. It requires the dredging of 10 million cubic meters of sea sands, the artificialization of 25 hectares by the sea and the concreting of 1 kilometer of beach. He received a negative opinion from the National Council for the Protection of Nature. However, the Region is carrying this project. Isn’t that contradictory with your candidacy alongside Mme Delga ?
There is no contradiction. My opposition was linked to the plan to import soybeans there, on the basis of an international market, and therefore to make the Region even more dependent on soybeans. GMOs from South America (Argentina and Brazil). The port is now committed to zero soy imports GMOs, and this expansion project is linked to the development of offshore wind power, which seems important to me, because it is part of the mix aimed at breaking out of dependence on fossils and nuclear power.
- Demonstration against the extension of the port of Port-la-Nouvelle, in 2020. Marie Astier / Reporterre
Friends of the Earth, the Confédération paysanne and a local collective come from lodge an appeal in which they denounce a project that will increase imports of nitrogenous fertilizers (strong emitters of greenhouse gases) and cereals from Canada and the United States. They are asking for the work to be stopped and the public service delegation to be terminated. For them, the wind turbine project is far from being the only object of this port, and a plan on a smaller scale is possible.
The main use and the justification for the extension are linked to the construction of wind power at sea. But I think that we can still move the lines on this type of file and weigh.
The current majority of the Occitanie region also supports the Toulouse-Castres motorway project, which also arouses opposition from ecological associations. Do you understand that it calls for you to support Mme Delga despite this project ?
As much in the case of the Toulouse-Castres link as that of Port-la-Nouvelle, discussions have taken place over the past five years, while the ecologists of Occitanie were part of the majority. I followed the debates. I think there are alternative solutions, as proposed by some collectives.
The debate on these major infrastructures must be done in a different way. Not just experts against experts. We must ensure that we agree on a consultation process, inform citizens, make the same documents and information available to everyone, organize a public debate and agree to go through the polls if they do not. there is no consensus. I hope that we will be able to move forward on this file in the next few months.
In Teulat we are busy … meeting at 2 p.m. #stopreintox # agir17avril #STopcarriereMontcabrier81 #PACT pic.twitter.com/XZgMAd2r1K
— PACT (@PasAutoroute) April 17, 2021
You are therefore proposing a debate on the Toulouse-Castres motorway project ?
This is the process that I proposed and I hope that we will be able to move in this direction in the weeks following the election of the regional council.
Different currents coexist within political ecology: a rather centrist, not necessarily wishing to place itself on the right-left axis, and another, which tends towards a social and left ecology. By supporting Mme Delga, close to several bosses in his region and who even recruited right-wing politicians on his list, aren’t you helping to pull political ecology towards the first option, more centrist? ?
My friend from Négawatt, Thierry Salomon, also supports Carole Delga. I don’t know if he is right or left. But it is clear on the ecological logic: to get out of fossil fuels and nuclear power. This axis suits me well. Regarding protein autonomy and organic canteens, I don’t feel like I’m fighting a particular trend. If an alliance in the second round is built – which I hope – between environmentalists and M’s listme Delga, it can be done with commitments from both sides to build consensus.
For me, there is a democratic and values need to ensure, by all means, to build a majority that can face the National Assembly, to prevent them from exercising any power whatsoever over this territory. Afterwards, if some do not want to be part of this majority to keep their hands white, it is their responsibility.