Sandrine Prioul // Photo credit: Jean-Marc Barrere / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 7:50 a.m., February 22, 2024

A few days before the opening of the Agricultural Show, the Confédération paysanne decided to take the opposite approach.

The union calls on its members to open the doors of their farms to hold a farm fair.

Objective: to be as close as possible to farmers’ issues.

This is a 60th edition which promises to be eventful.

A few hours before the opening of the doors of the Porte de Versailles Agricultural Show in Paris, the anger of farmers has not abated.

While the authorities fear the actions of breeders within the Show itself, others have chosen a radical option and will hold a show... on their farm.

At the call of the Peasant Confederation, farmers are asked to open the doors of their farms and thus participate in the Salon à la Ferme. 

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Produce less but better

In a hangar in Finistère, pancakes and cider are available to visitors.

Locals, tourists, elected officials or farmers are invited to visit the farms.

“The idea is to put things back in the right direction and not at all to go back to the candle. Just to rediscover a bit of peasant common sense, but above all ways of doing things that work very well,” explains to Europe 1 microphone, Julien Tallec.

The farmer came to talk about food sovereignty, a theme that has been gaining momentum in recent months with the mobilization of the profession. 

With his friend Manec, a milk producer, Julien made the choice to produce less, but better.

“We work a lot on food autonomy, since we have animals that are only fed on grass. And then, we are single-milked, that is to say we only milk once a day. Also, we stop milking in winter which means that we have very low costs", underlines Manec. 

“Solidify the base”

“It’s a quality production but today it allows us to be quite serene, to have a fairly limited workload. And despite everything, we still manage to earn an income,” he continues.

Among the participants, Odile, a former producer, has some hope in the executive's measures. 

“The real dynamic of food autonomy is really to think again about solidifying the base and not distribution, which comes afterwards. Distribution will always manage,” she judges.

The debates take place.

An elected official says that short circuits already provide collective catering also because it is more profitable.