Antoine Bienvault / Photo credit: Estelle Ruiz / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 7:52 a.m., March 24, 2024

Almost two months after the major farmers' demonstrations which shook France, a new meeting between the unions and the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, must take place this Monday to continue negotiations. An exchange from which Patrick Legras, spokesperson for Rural Coordination, expects little. He regrets the government's lack of listening.

Two months later, negotiations continue. After blockades, demonstrations and then an eventful Agricultural Show, the farmers' unions will meet again with the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, this Monday. The objective is always the same: to ensure that farmers have better incomes and reduce the administrative constraints that weigh on their farms. Among them, certain environmental standards whose heaviness and financial burden have been criticized by several operators.

However, Patrick Legras, spokesperson for Rural Coordination, does not expect much from the new exchange with the Prime Minister. He regrets the government's lack of listening, particularly on the issue of glyphosate.

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“Just bullshit”

“We are told that it must above all be better for consumers, and we say 'very good'. On glyphosate, which is still a very specific issue, that's what I said to Agnès Pannier-Runacher (minister delegate to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, editor's note): in France, the standard is 0.3 milligrams per kilo. That's very good, we haven't said anything. So we would like the same standard for imported products. She told me that it was not on the agenda,” he complains.

"So it's not even 'we're discussing it', it's: 'this is not the time to talk about it'. They're playing it backwards. It's like Ceta and all these agreements, it's bullshit. We make votes but we know that as a last resort, the European Union can still sign them. So what's the point?" adds the spokesperson for Rural Coordination, who don't lose your temper. Since the numerous discussions with the government, several agricultural union organizations have announced that they want to resume mobilizations in the face of the lack of results from the executive's promises.