DEFENDING
AGRICULTURE
France
has for several years been the crucible of a curious evolution of thought with
regard to food. This does not mean that it is the only country where this
phenomenon is observed, but it is probably the one where it is the most
violent, the most extreme and also, what is more serious, the most
institutionalized.
You know, my
dear readers, that I am French, fruit-grower outside France, in Spain (more
than one has called me a traitor).
I often pick
up articles or comments from France. I hope that my 78% of non-French readers
don't get tired of it.
But what is
happening in France is exemplary of what should not be done or not allowed to
be done.
I hope that
the other countries will have the sufficient strength and intelligence not to
let things slip in this way.
In
the end, everyone loses, especially farmers, of course, but also all consumers,
and ultimately 100% of the population. And that, not to mention the long-term
environmental damage caused by these ideological drifts without any real
scientific basis.
The French exception. French are proud to feel
exceptional. There is a French exception concerning culture, a sort of
resistance to the invasion of Anglo-American culture in literature and
especially in film and music.
And as soon
as a particular fact puts forward a characteristic of France compared to other
countries, the French exception, always on a positive and rewarding aspect, is
untiringly revealed.
It
is true, there is currently a French exception. But this one is sly, negative
and destructive. There is a real depravity in the relationship of civil society
to its agriculture.
Picture: http://s2.lemde.fr/image/2011/02/16/540x270/1481210_3_224a_dans-le-metro-parisien-le-15-fevrier.jpg
And I don't
believe that French people have the right to feel proud of this relationship,
close to the Inquisition, in which the only acceptable thought is organic, in
which the manipulation of public opinion is cleverly orchestrated by lobbies
that refuse to bear the name, in the form of "citizen movements" or
environmental organizations, with the unconditional support of most media,
television, radio, print and digital media, all under the benevolent gaze of
politicians whatever their ideological orientation.
The
situation has become so tense that farmers are able to oppose to each other. I
observe, here in Spain, in my entourage, that there is a true complementarity
between the different systems of production. Organic farming is becoming
increasingly important, but it's not being done, or only rarely, as opposed to
conventional agriculture, but rather as a different orientation, a deliberate
choice, and above all an adaptation to an increasingly demanding market.
Spanish
civil society is generally proud of its agriculture, its progress, its
successes, its plurality and the quality of the food it's able to produce.
Agriculture
in general is based on industrial agriculture, which is still present in
certain sectors, particularly for certain crops such as cereals or cotton,
towards more respectful agriculture, conservation agriculture, integrated
production, or organic agriculture.
There
is no reason to bring the methods of production in opposition. They are
complementary. The only real necessary evolutions are those related to soil
erosion, soil and water quality, use of water reserves, and pollution problems.
But for that, I have already spoken several times, the best way is not only
organic farming.
I just read
a very interesting book, short, concise, very clear, easy to read, much
documented, very informative for anyone who wants to accept the findings.
"Plaidoyer
pour nos agriculteurs" (Plea for our farmers) is written by Sylvie Brunel
and published in French in the collection "Dans le vif" by Buchet
Chastel.
I am now
proposing the preface, which sums up the situation well, and my opinion on a
non-agricultural problem, but with enormous implications.
"A cry of alarm and a plea.
For 20 years, I worked in NGOs that
were facing severe food crises. We were fighting against famine and chronic
hunger, which continues to affect millions of people around the world.
Compared to the magnitude of the
problem, our means were derisory. Nevertheless, we saved lives and served as
sentinels, alerting the world about forgotten victims. Hunger is a silent
killer that abundance made us forget, while it's still raging where poverty and
lack of resources remain realities.
And then I came back to work in
France. And there, I discovered a situation that stunned me: those who feed us
are mistreated. Not a day when agricultural labor is nailed to the pillory.
Thanks to it however, our very small country has gained its food independence
and has even become a major exporter of food. But while the "France
brand" remains in many countries of the world a sign of quality, as far as
wines are concerned, but also seeds, dairy products, cereals, beef and apples,
French berate their agriculture, taking the risk of seeing it disappear.
I had to understand. Confront my
experience of hunger there with the reality of the campaigns here. So I went to
see how these criticized farmers work. I traveled through rural France, spoke
with hundreds of people, visited numerous farms. I questioned, I investigated.
Without bias and with tenacity.
Everywhere, I saw enthusiasts, men
and women who love their craft and make every effort to deliver quality food.
Farmers, fruit-growers, breeders who devote their lives to their farms, their
fields, their orchards, their animals. And who suffer terribly to feel so
despised, so misunderstood.
This book is a cry of alarm and a
plea. Have we forgotten the fear of missing? Do we still know what it is to
fall ill, or even die poisoned, because of an inadequate diet?
As the climate changes and the
population continues to increase, it is urgent that we change our attitude to
save our countryside and those who feed us. We're pressed for time."
I strongly
advise reading this short work, disrupting for those interested in food,
agriculture, the environment, and for those who wish or accept to question
certain values commonly accepted in Western societies. A great kick in the
received ideas.
The book
does not take sides for one ideology or another. It dissects an increasingly
complex and difficult situation in which the public, but also farmers
themselves, are having more and more trouble to tell the truth from the
untruth.
Sylvie
Brunel talks about pesticides, residues, GMOs, pollution, but also demographic,
political, commercial and even geopolitical changes.
She explains
problems and mistakes of the past, but also evolutions and changes that have
been made or are under way, all the progress and the profound changes that
agriculture has made.
She talks
about health risks and food safety.
Agricultural
problematic affects all this and today's political and ideological decisions,
often guided by emotional, ideological, but non-scientific motives, will have
many serious consequences in the future.
And even
though this book is very centered on French agriculture, the vast majority of
informations it contains can be extrapolated to many other countries in the
world.
Unfortunately,
as far as I know, it has not yet been translated and is therefore only available
in French.
It
is unfortunate. I will perhaps take other passages in the future, to translate
them, in order to let you enjoy the power of analysis of Sylvie Brunel.
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