The ecological transition of French agriculture is one of the declared objectives of the bill “Guidelines for agricultural sovereignty and generational renewal”, examined by the National Assembly from Tuesday 14 May. This text, intended to structure agriculture in the coming years, should be one of the only opportunities during the five-year period to discuss the transformation of the sector to reduce its climate impact, continuing to produce in a warmer world and preserving biodiversity. An issue that is all the more central as it is often during installations and transmissions that transitions can begin.
But, apart from the introduction of climate diagnostics in plant engineering projects – devices with highly debated contours – few articles are dedicated to it. Worse still, the associations denounce, as part of the so-called “simplification” measures added to the bill after the agricultural mobilization at the beginning of 2024 – acceleration of litigation against water retention or livestock extension projects, decriminalization of some violations of ‘environment – I am perceived as contrary to the commitments undertaken by France for the climate and the environment.
In a letter sent to the government on 4 April, the High Climate Council, an independent consultative body, is concerned about a “taking a step back on climate ambitions” after rewriting the text.
The version of the bill adopted by the Economic Affairs Commission provides that agroecology, including organic farming, is a priority axis of the policy for establishing and transferring agricultural businesses. But the term “agroecology”, used sixteen times, is never defined. “Agroecology is economical and autonomous agriculture in terms of inputs and energysummarizes Thomas Uthayakumar, director of programs at the Foundation for Nature and Man. But defining it in the law meant mentioning synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and the government didn’t want to take that risk.”, in particular by rejecting the Ecophyto plan – which sets the target of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% by 2030, based ona controversial indicator – in a separate text.
“A blind eye is being turned”
Several organizations deplore the lack of coherence between this bill and the other objectives adopted by the government, including those of ecological planning. France has therefore set itself the goal of reaching 21% organic agricultural area in 2030, which will involve a massive effort to double the current areas in six years, but the bill does not mention the “organic ambition plan” , intended to structure the sector.