As a threat of global famine hangs over the war in Ukraine, France worries about its agriculture.
As France's leading agricultural region, Brittany, according to some, would like to "produce more" at the risk of reneging on its commitments to ecological transition.
Officials are calling for the abandonment of certain rules of the European “green deal” committed to agriculture that is more respectful of the environment.
The words are cold in the back but it is necessary to write them to understand: world famine.
Since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian troops of Vladimir Putin, the risk of a food shortage has been proven.
Not immediately, the world reserves of wheat and cereals currently allowing countries to process, feed and consume.
But what will happen in a year when Ukraine and Russia, which produce nearly 30% of the wheat on this planet, will not have harvested?
In a recent speech, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres feared “a collapse of the global food system”.
In Brittany, the question of food sovereignty raises questions.
Dependent on animal feed and fertilizer exports from Eastern Europe,
France's leading agricultural region aims to meet global demand by producing more.
To the point that some would like to bring down several environmental rules experienced as constraints while the planet is hungry.
Will the ongoing environmental transition be trampled on?
“Prices are soaring everywhere and all commercial circuits are upset.
We will clearly be talking about famine in certain countries, particularly in the Maghreb, in the coming months.
So what do we do ?
".
André Sergent is a cow and pig breeder in Finistère.
He is also the president of the regional chamber of agriculture of Brittany.
Affiliated with the FNSEA, the majority trade union in the profession, he does not hesitate to plead for “an agriculture that nourishes”.
“Twenty or thirty years ago, we drifted, so we were imposed administrative locks.
Today, in the face of this situation, these locks must be broken”, considers the breeder.
“We must not give in to panic”
The president of the regional chamber would like the limitation of organic inputs imposed on certain farms to avoid excess nitrogen to be reviewed.
“We have to destroy some of our material and we continue to import fertilizers from Russia and Ukraine.
Give us the opportunity to use them, it will save us chemistry, ”he implores.
The problem is that the excessive intake of livestock manure presents a real risk for the environment and in particular for water quality.
Already saturated with nitrates, the Breton rivers are already carrying a quantity of nitrogen into the bays, notably generating green algae.
“We must not give in to panic.
And above all, do not deviate from our objective of low-carbon agriculture.
We must opt for maximum sustainable production without damaging our land,
our water and our air.
I will see to it personally, ”promises the president of the Loïg Chesnais-Girard (PS) region.
Africans are the biggest consumers of wheat and they are totally dependent on Ukraine and Russia.
Suffice to say that the shortage will lead to famine and probable revolts.
@Emdupuy @JP_O @HGrossouvre @AntoineColonna1 @bernard_jomard @alexdelvalle3 @ASzulman pic.twitter.com/hW0c9yR3gE
— Edoardo Secchi (@EdoardoSecchi_) March 29, 2022
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In the corridors of agricultural authorities, some lobbies are already agitated.
“We have to stop with this over-regulation.
We are not going to farm with three cows and two pigs, ”criticizes Laurent Kerlir, dairy farmer and president of the Morbihan chamber.
The rise in the price of animal feed, fuel, the capricious weather and the armed conflict make some people fear a more massive use of synthetic products.
“The rules are not there by chance.
They were imposed to protect our environment.
Farmers are already seeing the impact of climate change.
But we have the feeling that everything is good to question everything.
Yesterday it was the health crisis, today it's war in Ukraine, ”worries Jean-Marc Thomas.
A “more autonomous, better distributed” agriculture
The regional head of the Confédération Paysanne union recognizes that “the risk of tension on the food supply is real”.
To deal with this, his organization pleads for an agriculture that is “more autonomous, better distributed over the territory”.
“If we do without fertilizer, we are independent of imports.
If we reduce the size of farms and distribute them better, we reduce the risk of epidemics, as is the case with avian flu.
Each country must organize itself to diversify and relocate to protect itself,” said the union leader.
Often singled out for its concentration of agricultural activities, Brittany has embarked on a slow transition to change its model.
The figures for new installations confirm this.
In the region, 40% of young farmers who start out do so on an organic model.
A figure that even climbs to 60% in the department of Morbihan.
An encouraging commitment that does not make us forget the crisis in the organic sector, faced with a drop in consumer demand.
“The issue is very complex and needs to be addressed holistically.
The challenge of feeding seven billion people is colossal”, warns Jean-Marc Thomas.
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Planet
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Agriculture
War in Ukraine
Shortage
Famine
Food
Russia
Wheat
Brittany