A surreal and “historic” moment in the opinion of Pascal Gouttenoire, its president. There Rhône FDSEA held its annual open-air congress on Friday morning, at the blockage point installed since Wednesday on the M6 (ex-A6) in Limonest.
An improvised stand on a trailer, dozens of benches lined up on three lanes in the Lyon-Paris direction and several hundred farmers present, aware of witnessing a crucial period for the future of the French agricultural model.
Arnaud Rousseau, a president of the FNSEA under fire for questions
The presence of Arnaud Rousseau, president of the FNSEA and central figure in the current crisis, added to the importance of the moment. Consequently, the FDSEA 69 had shaken up the classic agenda of such a congress to propose a round table bringing together – in addition to the boss of the FNSEA – the European deputy (Renew) and breeder in Saône-et-Loire Jérémy Decerleas well as Pascal Girinpresident of the Rhône Chamber of Agriculture.
But above all it was the frank and direct exchanges between Arnaud Rousseau and the farmers which made it possible to shed the harsh light of the field on the deep reasons for the anger of a sector that was running out of steam.
At 25, a cherry producer is already wondering about his future
Microphone in hand, everyone tells the boss of the majority union what is in their heart. Xavier Sauniercherry producer in Bessenay (Rhône), sees no end to the tunnel he has entered, while the latest harvests have been catastrophic. “I no longer have the means to fight against certain insects, like fruit flies or aphids. Does that mean that at 25 I have to uproot what I have barely started to build?”he asks.
“Let’s target the molecules that pose a problem, put the best researchers on the subject and find technical solutions. We can’t put a production in the wall like that. Otherwise, there will be no more French cherries and we will eat cherries Turkish products produced with insecticides banned in France”replies the boss of the FNSEA, emphasizing in passing the supposed strike force of INRAE in terms of research.
For this milk producer, “organic has almost become a dirty word”
Fabien Chaverotproducer of organic milk and charcuterie in Haute-Rivoire (Rhône) continues with the fact that according to him “organic has almost become a dirty word in the current period”. In GAEC with his wife, he says to himself “iron” to have successfully completed its conversion from conventional agriculture to organic agriculture, but does not understand why the sector is slipping so much. “French organic, since post-Covid, we are in ch… We sell our organic milk at the price of conventional”he illustrates.
“I’ve talked about organic on all the TV sets, and I’m doing a lot of it at the moment”answers Arnaud Rousseau. “We must be able to help organic farming as we recently did for sectors such as pork or viticulture. On the other hand, when Brussels sets a target of 25% organic farming by 2030 while we are struggling to maintain 10%…”
Arnaud Rousseau : “We no longer hear Michel-Edouard Leclerc, he must have a swimming pool”
Laurent Soileuxpoultry breeder inAin neighbor, struggles for his part to understand that “55% of chickens consumed in France are imported, this is not normal!” And to tackle mass distribution. “We must enforce the Egalim law. It is not possible to hear Michel-Edouard Leclerc say that he will continue to lower prices. Everyone forgets the producer”he points.
“The FNSEA has been denouncing the situation for months. You will have noticed that we have not heard from major retailers since the start of the crisis. Michel-Edouard Leclerc, who we usually see on all sets, must have a swimming pool …”scratches the president of the majority union, who calls for an increase in the investigations of the general directorate of finance and controls of the DGCCRF.
© Julien Verchère / Arnaud Rousseau facing farmers from the Rhône this Friday on the highway tracks in Limonest.
The Mercosur agreement in the viewfinder
Mickaël Goninmilk producer in Amplepuisfinally questions Arnaud Rousseau on a possible convergence of struggles between European peasants, at a time when processions are increasing, in Germany or the Netherlands. “I am a convinced European, but as a milk producer, I no longer find my little ones there”he grimaces.
“We need to know what we want to do together. Do we really want a Europe that is sovereign in terms of food?”replies Arnaud Rousseau. “We need to trade, but when I hear a European Trade Commissioner tell us that everything is in line to sign the Mercosur agreement next June, I am cautious. 99,000 more tonnes of beef from South America on the market in the current situation, I wouldn’t understand. Only the President of the Republic can stop that.”
For Jérémy Decerle, MEP and president, “we need to rebalance the game in Brussels”
In an ironic wink, the sound system spits out “Brussels I love you” by the Belgian artist Angèle as a preamble to the round table. MEP within the “Renew” group, and in this regard member of the Macronist group, Jérémy Decerle does not appear a priori with all the assets to convince the assembly present in Limonest.
Except that this young politician is also a breeder in Saône-et-Loire and by nature in direct contact with the concerns of the agricultural world. At the microphone, he clearly displays his support for the movement. “It’s a shame to have to get to this point to be listened to, but your mobilization helps us to send messages higher”he says, without wanting to take on all the responsibilities. “Yes, the macronie hasn’t done everything well in Brussels, but it’s not just her.”
© Julien Verchère / Jérémy Decerle (center), MEP and breeder in Saône-et-Loire.
For Jérémy Decerle, however, the simplification of standards appears obvious: “We are doing too much in France, when other countries sometimes do anything on certain subjects. We need to rebalance the game.”
Finally, the MEP pleads for “take agriculture out of trade agreements and treat it within a dedicated framework”. Imagining his point thus: “We cannot exchange food products like cars, without worrying about the impact on the territories”he judges, finally calling for a form of citizen resurgence. “Everyone must play the game, including consumers. We need society to act.”
2024-01-26 17:17:29
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