The organic dairy sector in France has significant differences – but also some commonalities – with the conventional dairy sector. Rising consumer demand, producer organisations, and regional feed crop supply are among the differences – as is the decoupling of organic and conventional prices. […]
Here we feature a pair of extracts from the publication Conversion to agroecology: France’s hopes for environmental salvation by ARC2020’s Peter Crosskey. It opens with the political move to introducing an agroecology law, and ends with criticism of the weakness of this move from the 15,000 member Confédération Paysanne. […]
Conversion to agroecology: France’s hopes for environmental salvation is a new 28 page ARC2020 document on efforts in France to move farming from pesticides to agroecological methods. […]
IATP’s Ben Lilliston at #COP21 in Paris, examines France’s soil plans, and how agroecological or otherwise they are. […]
Like its failed predecessor, Ecophyto 2018, Ecophyto 2 aims to halve pesticide use in France during the coming decade. How will it fare? Peter Crosskey explores. […]
Peter Crosskey digs deeper into the recent French food waste story. […]
Where would you expect to find a completely automated dairy factory, where 280 cows are milked by four robots overseen by just two staff? The Breton town of Bréhan is home to this French factory farm, one of 27 listed in an online map published by Confédération paysanne (Conf’). The Conf’ has identified some of the most notorious factory-scale units so far in a list that is already extensive, with livestock units holding thousands of finishing cattle and thousands of piglets. One pig unit has applied to expand its herd to 3,000, despite being located in the middle of a Natura 2000 zone with an ecology that is home to flora and fauna of scientific interest. If the project at Loueuse (60) goes ahead, Cooperl will be spreading 5,000 cubic metres of slurry on 400 hectares. The public inquiry went in favour of the pig business Cooperl and the project will receive a final decision from the prefet in June. A factory farm for 4,500 finishing pigs at Heuringhem (62) received planning permission in March […]
Confédération Paysanne have mounted a strong battle against the 1000 cow mega-farm in France, with some success says Urgenci’s Judith Hitchman explains. […]
Minister Stephane Le Foll visits the iconic GAEC Ursule agroecological farm […]
Le Foll strikes a middle ground with coupled payments […]
After initial positive soundings, is France now getting scared of genuine CAP reform? […]
Stéphane Le Foll has expressed his preference for the most redistributive option […]
French National Assembly adopts new resolution on the CAP reform towards 2020 […]
Le Foll adopts a simple agroecological measure using existing agreements and organisations […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention