When breeders manifest by polluting the environment and mistreating / killing animals

In recent years, French agriculture is going through an unprecedented crisis. Among the topics of tension: the continuing decline in agricultural income and European ecological obligations increasingly restrictive. If the FNSEA, the main federation of farmers, supports a sector in distress, it is illustrated by often violent demonstrations that exploit the living in odious staging that does not honor the profession. Back on these some of the abuses committed by the breeders ... Decided well misunderstood.

Many actions of breeders and farmers are taking place everywhere in France since July 2015. Main demand: a better valorization of their work through a rise of the prices of products of animal origin intended for the consumption: meat, eggs and dairy products.

The magazine La France Agricole reports some confessions of breeders facing the current situation of French agriculture:

" With a decrease in support of Pac [1] by € 13,000 by 2017 and a new upgrade of effluent storage capacity standards, it is difficult to calmly consider the retirement of my mother or the replacement of the room. I settled in a crisis year, but frankly, it's worse, "says Samuel Biderre, a dairy farmer in Lingèvres (Calvados).

" When I moved in 1985, the price of meat was 25 francs / kg, or € 3.81 ," calculates Pascal Trécul, breeder breastfeeding in Argenvilliers (Eure-et-Loir). " Thirty years later, the charges have tripled, and the meat is still paid at € 3.80 / kg! "

Farmers' demonstrations are notably led by the FNSEA, the famous national agricultural union, known for its violent and environmentally disrespectful actions.

What is the FNSEA / FDSEA?

The National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FNSEA) represents 70% of French farmers in all regions and all agricultural production since 1946. It is present in 94 departments under the name of FDSEA (Federation of Trade Unions). farmers). It brings together 20,000 local unions and 22 regional federations. 36 associations support the interests of the FNSEA and their objectives. Among them, the Young Farmers Association, closely linked to the activities of the FNSEA.
Its representativeness and its weight in the demonstrations is therefore significant.

What are the objectives of the FNSEA?

Since the meetings of September 2014, the FNSEA has the following objectives ( complete list FNSEA ):

valorization of French products with 2 dishes out of 3 of French origin in public canteens;
economic and political help to fill the Russian [2] embargo. Russia has implemented this embargo (extending the list of products at the end of October 2014) following the economic sanctions taken by the European Union against Russia in the crisis in Ukraine. Russia has even renewed for one year, at the beginning of June, the embargo on meat, dairy products and European fruits and vegetables. A French Customs study in March 2015 estimated the direct effect on exports of losses of 244 million euros, mainly for the milk and meat sectors. This embargo targets the European Union, Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States;
modification of the Difficulty Account applied to the community according to the criteria of the union and the reality of the agricultural world ( 40 to 60% of the working time of an employee is considered in a painful posture with the current criteria );
local application and according to the agricultural criteria of the Nitrate Directive (23 000 communes affected and classified as vulnerable zones). The purpose of this Directive is to reduce water pollution caused by nitrates of agricultural origin. For this, the concentration of these nitrates is measured in each zone containing groundwater or surface water. 

To express their dissatisfaction, the FNSEA does not do things lightly. As the media have partially retraced, the federation manifests demonstratively but violently. Here are some recent examples.

Some shocking, polluting and degrading actions on the part of breeders

Animal abuse : this was the case in September 2014 when a calf was dragged by the neck for several hours in offices. This action followed the FNSEA's mobilization in October 2013 against the eco-tax put in place because of the groundwater pollution caused by intensive farming.
Mutilation of birds : in January 2013 the FDSEA inserts with violence, live birds in the mailbox of the association Manche-Nature.
Spill of dozens of tons of fruits and vegetables as November 5, 2014: demonstration of more than 35,000 farmers across France against "the weight of environmental and administrative constraints."
Spilling kilos of dead animals : At the end of July 2015, the breeders threw on the pavement dead animals that came from foreign trucks.
Very many tires are burned giving off a thick black smoke.
Slurry dumped in front of supermarkets, administrative buildings, travelers' camps, to block the roadway ...
Launching agricultural bombs [3] that they put in apples to blow them up on buildings
Non-French product flights in supermarkets
Degradation of street furniture, administrative buildings, supermarkets and road improvements. Example in Morlaix in September 2014, in Grenoble on August 5th, 2015.
Massacre of nutria , crushed by tractors on the street in early November 2014.
Exhibition of corpses of boars and pigs (hanged on a bridge or covered with manure in the street) as was the case on November 24, 2014 in Florange or in February 2015. 
 Milk spill : 15,000 liters on 24 July 2015 in the Cora de Vesoul car park, which was partly found in the Durgeon River, contaminating the aquatic fauna. 

The list is not exhaustive, and the facts are not always relayed by the media, it is nonetheless scandalous and shows all the disregard of part of the profession for the living and the environment. Nevertheless, most of the demonstrations resulted in concessions from the government to appease [4].

Retrograde and anti-environmental actions

The FNSEA is an agricultural federation, cultivating the land, and for organic farming (according to her) it would seem normal that she wants to protect what allows them to earn a living. And yet! With the list above, we can see that there is no respect for the environment, but also for the animal world. In these conditions, it is difficult to attract the sympathy of consumers who are increasingly sensitive to the ecological issue.

From the environmental point of view, slurry spread is known to emit methane (a potent greenhouse gas ); tire combustion is also known to emit harmful gases and pollute the atmosphere.

Thus, during their violent demonstrations to fight against the environmental measures taken by the government, the FNSEA worsens the situation even more and degrades its image.

In addition, one point that can affect more than one is the abuse of animals . In too many manifestations, many corpses of animals, pigs, boars, birds, are exhibited in a degrading and insulting way for the living, when they are not massacred on the spot. However, these acts are perpetrated by pastoralists who, according to their speech and the reassuring communication of the sector, are supposedly sensitive to the welfare of animals. Unfortunately, these barbaric and retrograde demonstrations prove the opposite and confirm the many testimonies that show the hidden and disgusting face of breeding in France .

In addition, French agriculture is already unstable and in difficulty, it is not necessary to waste food to show its objection, while the gift of certain products would be more commendable. The liters of milk spilled, the potatoes wasted for damming, etc. Remember that nearly 800 million people still suffer from hunger in the world .

Fortunately, these methods do not please all breeders

Although it is true that the agricultural sector is in crisis, many other agricultural unions, such as the CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labor) have distanced themselves from the movement of the FNSEA, not agreeing with its operating system.
Another example: the Peasant Confederation [5] also supports the anger of the agricultural world but declares in a statement : "We are in a system out of breath that has respect only for competition and profitability. (...) we will have to fight. But not by burning what remains of our tools of solidarity, not by protesting for the right to pollute in peace. "

We are relieved to see that there are still unions able to express their discontent in a civilized way and especially respectful of the living! The credibility of the sector is at stake.

What future for French agriculture?

"In France and in Europe, the mechanisms that work today are such that, if the aid to farmers were abolished, their income would be nil, which means that the aid thus granted is reflected in the prices of raw agricultural products. They are falling, which benefit the food industries, which benefit from a secure local supply, according to Lucien Bourgeois. " ( The future of the agricultural sector by 2050 , Senate).

The decline in prices of agricultural products, against a backdrop of price competition between supermarkets, is worsening the situation. If the idea of ​​supermarkets to reduce prices is, a priori, good given the current economic crisis, it is often at the expense of social and environmental conditions. However, this encourages consumers to buy cheaper food products that can be imported and / or stuffed with pesticides and that do not respect the environment or agricultural workers ...
In order to support the difficult work of the agricultural world, it would be necessary to favor short circuits, organic farming methods and local products which offer fresh products and only slightly more expensive than those offered in supermarkets, but which will, surely, be better. quality.

We can understand the anger and the many worries of farmers. It is, however, inconceivable to approve the behavior of those who demonstrate behind the FNSEA. However, the government, weak against the violent and filthy demonstrations, encourages, by its laxity, the most radical breeders to perpetrate such misdeeds.

The icing on the cake, the president of the FNSEA, advocating food patriotism, is not exemplary since Le Figaro reports : " Sublime paradox, the boss of the FNSEA, the first agricultural union, Xavier Beulin, who discusses with the Minister , is president of the multinational Sofiprotéol, owner of several agri-food brands, one of wholly owned subsidiaries, Farmor (Glon-Sanders), Guingamp, imports hundreds of thousands of tons of Brazilian industrial chickens produced in despicable conditions . "

Finally, the FNSEA and the FDSEA have always been in favor of intensive livestock farming, such as the infamous thousand-cow farm . Nearly thirty factory farms are planned, under construction or have already been set up.

The crisis continues, the FNSEA still angry

While the French agricultural market is at a low point, new crises are accumulating. Since the beginning of August 2015, hog farming has been in jeopardy with the two largest investors, Bigard and Cooperl, who have pulled out of the market in the face of meat price inflation.

This is why the demonstrations are multiplying everywhere in France to restore reasonable prices on meat and milk. However these events have a cost and always mark the spirits. In Caen, on August 18, 2015, more than 300 tons of waste were dumped in front of several establishments. The mayor estimates the damage to more than more than 58,000 euros. Many supermarkets have also been targeted with the dumping of tons of slurry.

The FNSEA intends to mobilize in Paris on September 3 to express its dissatisfaction, no doubt they will be able to get noticed by the government.

Notes

 Common Agricultural Policy.
Refers to a measure to prevent the free movement of goods.
Mixture of fertilizer (nitrate) and hydrocarbons.
New proof that it is violence that, unlike the treacherous speech of the elected, allows to be heard quickly. Peaceful protests are mostly despised or even severely repressed by the authorities.
The peasant confederation is also a French agricultural union campaigning for "a peasant agriculture, respectful of the environment, agricultural employment and the quality of the products". 

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