Margaux Fodéré / Photo credits: Quentin Saison / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 6:18 a.m., April 3, 2024

This Wednesday, the agricultural orientation bill will be presented to the Council of Ministers. Awaited for more than a year, to take into account the demands of farmers, the bill must facilitate the transfer of farmers' farms, but also the installation of their buyers.

It had been awaited for over a year. The agricultural orientation bill arrives this Wednesday in the Council of Ministers. The presentation of the text, entitled "guidance bill for agricultural sovereignty and the renewal of generations in agriculture", was postponed several times to take into account the demands of farmers. It must enable them to meet a challenge: to restore the image of agriculture and attract new farmers.

The stakes are high: by 2030, more than half of farmers will retire. So the State must facilitate the transfer of their farms, but also the installation of their buyers.

“France Agricultural Services”

To do this, the executive wants to set up a one-stop shop called France Services Agriculture. "There are more and more people who want to settle down who do not come from an agricultural background. They don't always know who to turn to, where to go and so the idea is to be able to to have this France Services Agriculture, a one-stop shop. We really need that,” explains Sandrine Le Feur, rapporteur of the text.

The bill also aims to simplify the lives of operators. This will involve, among other things, standardizing the rules on hedges: this Wednesday no less than 14 texts govern the installation of a hedge.

Less severe sanctions

But there are also less severe sanctions in the event of damage to the environment or biodiversity. This is a good thing, says Jean-Marie Séronie, independent agro-economist. "The government wants to avoid criminal sanctions, except perhaps in extreme cases. If we have a tax audit, if we are in good faith, the controller realizes this. Of course we have to pay what we didn't pay, but we have no penalty. So here, it's working again on a basis of trust", he explains.

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Finally, the text aims to make younger generations want to turn to agricultural careers, in particular by strengthening the offer of discovery internships in middle and high school. Today, third and second year students are doing their internship in a company. Tomorrow, they could well discover the life of a dairy farmer or cereal farmer.