{"id":1282074,"date":"2024-01-15T10:14:20","date_gmt":"2024-01-15T10:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hopstore.fr\/reorienting-agricultural-policies\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T16:35:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T16:35:34","slug":"reorienting-agricultural-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hopstore.fr\/en\/reorienting-agricultural-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"Reorienting agricultural policies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Following the way in which the farmers’ discontent was “appeased,” we felt it was important to take a step back and share a collective opinion piece that appeared in Le Monde on February 5th. This text proposes credible paths for rebuilding our French agricultural landscape, and we are reproducing it here in its entirety. The opinion piece is available and downloadable as a PDF\u2014among other resources\u2014on the AGTER<\/a> website, here.<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

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At the initiative of AGTER and in connection with reflections carried out within the Land Coalition and the Nourrir Collective, more than 50 actors from the associative and agricultural world and academics signed an opinion piece published in Le Monde on February 5, 2024<\/a> in response to the crisis in the agricultural world and the government’s draft agricultural policy law.<\/p>\n\n

The platform:<\/h2>\n\n

Agriculture is in crisis. The anger of farmers reveals situations of distress and suffering of diverse and varied origins, as the agricultural world is heterogeneous, whether from the point of view of income, debt, or working conditions. Faced with these recurring social crises, the government typically responds at the beginning of February with tax measures, reductions in social security contributions and regulations, and support for agricultural prices. While these measures appear to benefit everyone, the largest production units benefit more than the smaller ones; the former then continue to “devour” the latter. The largest farms are moving towards an agro-industrial model: corporate agriculture that most often favors simplified, standardized, highly mechanized, and automated production systems. This model relies on monoculture, increasingly large plots of land devoid of trees and hedges, and the excessive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, to the detriment of ecosystems, agricultural and biological diversity, and soil and water quality. It concentrates production in ever-larger buildings and reduces living beings to machines for producing tasteless milk, meat, eggs, or fruits and vegetables with a heavy carbon footprint. It leads to the emergence of agriculture without farmers, benefiting shareholders interested in the profitability of their capital. <\/p>\n\n

Rebuilding the remuneration system<\/h2>\n\n

In fact, more and more farms are controlled by non-farming shareholders. Consequently, a growing share of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies, intended for agricultural workers according to European Union regulations, is being distributed to people who are not farmers. This corporate agriculture, primarily export-oriented, is gaining ground worldwide thanks to free trade agreements and is leading to a reduction in the number of agricultural workers, rural exodus, and the impoverishment of rural areas. It concentrates and relocates production to the detriment of family and small-scale farming and food sovereignty, both in the Global North and the Global South. Furthermore, it is developing at the expense of the climate, biodiversity, landscape diversity, and public health. Given the diversity of agricultural practices, the system for remunerating farmers’ labor must be overhauled to reflect production costs, which vary widely depending on the size of production units and agricultural practices, and to protect them from the various impacts of climate change. For example, per-hectare subsidies should be replaced by subsidies capped at the asset level; support for organic farming must not only allow for its maintenance, but also its expansion. Such measures would increase the rate of farm succession and contribute to generational renewal, an objective the government proclaims without providing the means to achieve it. To achieve this generational renewal, a truly effective structural policy must be implemented to direct land towards aspiring farmers and smaller-scale farmers, and towards agroecological practices. Land access, the main obstacle to starting a farm, particularly for those who are not from farming families, must be better regulated. Land allocation must be made to farmers as individuals, regardless of their land access methods or the status of their production units. <\/p>\n\n

Land concentration is underestimated<\/h2>\n\n

This revamped policy requires knowledge of production units, which is far from being the case. [In 2022, didn’t the press discover, in the Vienne department, that a single unit of 2,121 hectares comprised 12 “administrative farms”?] \u00b9<\/a><\/sup> Even official data underestimates land concentration. A register of production units must be established to distinguish, among their owners, investors who do not participate in agricultural work from genuine farmers. <\/p>\n\n

Generational renewal requires a proactive structural policy<\/h2>\n\n

This policy also entails revising the “regional master plans for agricultural holdings.” These plans must prioritize, across the entire territory, farms that create jobs and added value per unit area, that are economical in their use of synthetic inputs, that have diversified production, and that employ agroecological and\/or organic farming practices. This regulation would allow for a shift from rhetoric to action, benefiting producers and the entire population, for example, by restoring market gardening and fruit-growing belts around cities, within the framework of local government food projects. Such regulation requires an operational land market observatory that collects and publishes information on land leases, sales, and shares in agricultural companies. It will also ensure that the procedures for issuing operating permits (which form the basis of structural policy) are more transparent and participatory. These authorizations must be based on a maximum land area criterion (weighted according to production) per farmer, whether for leasing, purchasing land, or acquiring shares, and on the opinion of departmental and local land commissions. These commissions will be composed of representatives of farmers, local authorities, environmental associations, consumer groups, and citizen associations involved in agriculture and food. This policy goes hand in hand with a recognition of the diversity of support structures available for new farmers. Successfully managing generational renewal in agriculture and achieving the essential ecological transition requires a reorientation of agricultural policy at both the European and national levels. Only this reorientation will provide lasting solutions to the agricultural crises. <\/p>\n\n

List of initial signatories:<\/span><\/strong> \u2022Bukhari-de-Pontual – Sylvie – CCFD – Catholic Committee against Hunger and for Development – President of CCFD\u2022Chevassus-au-Louis Bernard – Humanity and Biodiversity – President of Humanity and Biodiversity\u2022St\u00e9phanie Cl\u00e9ment-Grandcourt – Foundation for Nature and Man – Director General of the FNH\u2022Cochet Hubert – Professor of Comparative Agriculture at AgroParisTech\u2022C\u00e9cile Duflot – Oxfam France – Executive Director of Oxfam France\u2022Gaiji Khaled – Friends of the Earth – President of Friends of the Earth France\u2022Gatet Antoine – France Nature Environnement – President of FNE\u2022Beno\u00eet Grimonprez – Professor at the University of Poitiers and researcher in rural and environmental law\u2022Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Julliard – Greenpeace – Executive Director of Greenpeace France\u2022Levesque Robert – AGTER – President of AGTER\u2022Marandola Laurence – Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration paysanne – National spokesperson for the Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration paysanne\u2022 Paul Reder – Federation of Associations for the Development of Agricultural and Rural Employment – President of FADEAR\u2022 Alan Testard – The National Federation of Organic Agriculture – National Secretary for Installation and Transfer of the FNAB\u2022 Michael Weber – Federation of Regional Natural Parks of France – President of the Federation of Regional Natural Parks of France<\/p>\n\n

Full list of signatories:<\/span><\/strong> \u2022Apollin Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric – AVSF Agronomists and Veterinarians Without Borders – Director General of AVSF\u2022Arnaud Luc – GRET – Director General of GRET\u2022Auzeral Bertrand – Bee Friendly – President of Bee Friendly and professional beekeeper\u2022Azan Jean – Friends of the Peasant Confederation – Representative of the Friends of the Peasant Confederation\u2022 Jean-Luc Bausson – Christians in the Rural World – Co-president of Christians in the Rural World\u2022Bernard Genevi\u00e8ve – Terre de Liens – President of the Terre de Liens National Federation\u2022Evelyne Boulogne – MIRAMAP Inter-regional Movement of AMAPs – Administrator and spokesperson for MIRAMAP\u2022Christian Castellanet – AGTER\/GRET – Former scientific director of GRET and member of AGTER\u2022Chevalier Margot – Christians in the Rural World – Co-president of Christians in the Rural World\u2022 Andr\u00e9 Cicolella – Environment and Health Network – President of the Environment and Health Network\u2022 St\u00e9phanie Cl\u00e9ment-Grandcourt – Foundation for Nature and Man – Director General of the Foundation for Nature and Man\u2022Sarah Cohen – ISF Agrista – Co-president of ISF Agrista and agricultural engineer\u2022Jean-Louis Couture \u2013 Agro-economist, international expert in resource management and evaluator of European and AFD projects\u2022Yvon Cras – Action Aid – People in Solidarity – Action Aid Delegate\u2022David Vincent – Max Havelaar France – President of Max Havelaar France\u2022 Armelle de Saint Sauveur – Slow Food France – Member of the Slow Food France Biodiversity Action Committee\u2022Froitier Lucile – WWOOF World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – President of WWOOF and farm worker\u2022Quentin Ghesqui\u00e8re – Oxfam France – Food Security Campaign and Advocacy Officer at Oxfam France\u2022 Jacques Godard – SOL Agroecological and Solidarity Alternatives – Co-president of SOL\u2022Philippe Hirou – Afac-Agroforestry – President of Afac-Agroforestry\u2022Marie-Jeanne Husset – Act for the Environment – President of Act for the Environment\u2022 Julien Kieffer – RENETA National Network of Agricultural Test Sites – Co-president of RENETA\u2022Kien Julien – Bio Consom’acteurs – President of Bio Consom’acteurs\u2022Largeaud Amandine – RENETA National Network of Agricultural Test Sites – Co-president of RENETA\u2022 Nadine Lauverjat – Generations Futures – General Delegate of Generations Futures\u2022Lucie Leloup – Les Pieds dans le Plat Collective – Co-president of the Les Pieds dans le Plat Collective – Daughter of an organic farmer\u2022Christophe L\u00e9pine \u2013 FCEN (Federation of Conservatories of Natural Areas) \u2013 President of the FCEN\u2022Leras G\u00e9rard – Former Vice-President of the Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes Region\u2022 Patrick Lespagnol – MABD (Movement for Biodynamic Agriculture) – President of the Movement for Biodynamic Agriculture\u2022Levard Laurent – Agricultural Economist\u2022 Jacques Loyat – Honorary General Engineer of Rural Engineering, Water and ForestryRomain Melot – Research Director at INRAE\u2022Herv\u00e9 Mouchard – Les Pieds dans le Plat Collective – Co-president of the Les Pieds dans le Plat Collective – Son of organic farmers\u2022C\u00e9cile Muret – Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration paysanne – Head of the land commission of the Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration paysanne\u2022 Coline Perrin – Research Director in Geography at INRAE\u2022Alice Picard – Attac France – Spokesperson for Attac France\u2022 Christian Pons – UNAF (National Union of French Beekeeping) – President of UNAF\u2022 Vincent Rousselet – Organic Fair Trade in France – Director of Organic Fair Trade in France\u2022 Manon Rousselot-Pailley – MRJC (Rural Movement of Christian Youth) – President of the MRJC\u2022 Yvan Savy – CIWF – Director of CIWF France\u2022 Anne-Fran\u00e7oise Taisne – CFSI (French Committee for International Solidarity) – General Delegate of the French Committee for International Solidarity\u2022 Boris Tavernier – Bulk Towards a Joint Purchasing Network – General Delegate of Bulk\u2022 Alan Testard – FNAB (National Federation of Organic Agriculture) – National Secretary for Installation and Transfer of Farms at FNAB and Professional Advisor in charge of land\u2022Jos\u00e9 Tissier – Fair Trade France – President of Fair Trade France\u2022Vergati Samanta – Altrimenti – Founder and General Director of Altrimenti\u2022Fran\u00e7oise Vernet – Terre & Humanisme – President of Terre & Humanisme\u2022Nicolas Verzotti – Civam Network – Vice-President of the Civam Network and market gardener in the Vaucluse\u2022Zuccolo Ghislain – Welfarm – Managing Director of Welfarm<\/p>\n\n

Press contact: 06 19 81 26 61 – pierre-andre.duffrene@agter.org Pierre-Andr\u00e9 Duffr\u00e8ne – Land Affairs Officer France\/Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

To learn more:<\/span><\/p>\n\n