Paris (AFP)
French agriculture will have its share of the recovery plan, with a specific allocation of 1.2 billion euros to restore some competitiveness to a sector which also suffered during the health crisis, and prepare it for the climate challenges of tomorrow.
Delegating our food would be "madness", had warned President Emmanuel Macron on March 12, at the start of the crisis: in order to "regain the food sovereignty of France", the first priority axis, the plan provides for 364 million euros , including 100 million euros dedicated to a plant protein plan, mentioned for nearly two years by the Head of State.
Main objective of this envelope, "to strongly reduce the importation of proteins intended for breeding".
Through this plan, oilseed protein producers hope to reduce France's dependence on imports from 45% to 35% (against nearly 65% to 70% in Europe) in the coming years.
In order to consolidate national food sovereignty, the government also intends to encourage the succession of the peasant world, while 50% of the heads of operations will retire in the next 10 years, in particular through a "general public campaign" to make known the needs. in recruitment of agriculture and agrifood, funded to the tune of 10 million euros, said the Minister of Agriculture Julien Denormandie.
To meet the growing demands of French consumers on animal welfare, the plan provides for 250 million euros for the "modernization of slaughterhouses" and "biosecurity in breeding", and a plan for "the reception of abandoned animals and at the end of life".
Second priority, "the acceleration of the agro-ecological transition", endowed with 345 million euros for the agricultural component and 200 million euros "for the food component", in particular the development of short circuits, acclaimed during confinement .
Thanks in particular to a "support plan for school canteens".
Mr. Denormandie hopes to "accelerate" the achievement of the objective of 50% of local products or under the sign of quality set by the Food Law.
The recovery plan plans to "amplify the wave of conversion to organic and High Environmental Value (HVE) certification through the maintenance of the organic tax credit and the creation of an HVE tax credit, a strengthening of the fund Avenir bio, assistance in structuring these sectors and a good + carbon footprint + for young farmers to facilitate their installation ".
In this part, the plan also provides for a "premium for the conversion of agro-equipment in order to allow farmers to invest in more resource-efficient tools", to the tune of 135 million euros, according to Mr. Denormandie.
Third and final priority, adapting French agriculture and forests to climate change, while these two parts of the territory have just experienced a new summer of drought which has damaged cereals, farmers and tree bark.
An envelope of 300 million euros in total, including 100 million euros to support in particular "the search for more resistant seeds", or in the face of hail or frost, "aid for protection investments in the face of climatic hazards" , especially for arborists and winegrowers.
Finally, the forest will benefit from a budget of 200 million euros, including 150 million euros for a "major reforestation plan", with the objective of "planting 50 million trees".
© 2020 AFP