Farmers: everything you need to know about Rural Coordination, the union at the heart of the blockages

Baptiste Morin, edited by Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: Estelle Ruiz / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 6:24 a.m., January 29, 2024

The Lot-et-Garonne Rural Coordination appears to be one of the union forces most mobilized in the farmers' protest. It was she who announced on Saturday that she wanted to block the Rungis market this week. Europe 1 takes stock of this prominent union in the blocking movement.

The Agen region is the center of gravity of the farmers' blocking movement, and this is no coincidence. In the last elections of the chambers of agriculture, the Rural Coordination (CR) triumphed in Lot-et-Garonne with almost 60% of the votes. The most notable actions, notably the fire in front of the Agen prefecture, are hers. The yellow hats too. Labeled CR, they become a symbol of protest like the yellow vests and red hats, two other social movements.

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Véronique Le Floc'h, president of the union, explains on Europe 1 that she represents "above all farmers, whether they are unionized or not. And this is the strong signal that we are capable of sending with all of us unhappy with agriculture.” On Saturday, the "CR 47" announced that farmers would go to the Rungis market by tractor from Monday, with the aim of blocking it with other farmers they met along the way.

An alternative to the FNSEA

Originally, Rural Coordination was created in the early 1990s, in reaction to the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP). For 30 years, the union has opposed interventionism. "As one of the pillars of today's movement is the question of environmental constraints, and more broadly of an 'administrative straitjacket', Rural Coordination is in its element", analyzes Édouard Lynch, historian of the agricultural world.

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By also defending the family model, Rural Coordination positions itself as an alternative to the FNSEA, accused of favoring industrialized agriculture.