The annual national congress of the FNSEA, the leading French agricultural union, opens this Monday, March 28. On the menu of the discussions that will be held until next Wednesday in Besançon: how to achieve the country’s food sovereignty? A subject highlighted by the war in Ukraine. Finding the right balance will not be easy. Between productivity and respect for the environment, the French agricultural model balances.
According to the FNSEA, there will be a before and after the war in Ukraine. The primary sector, and in particular wheat, could see the cards reshuffled for a long time. France does not have to fear for its supplies, but other countries do, notably Italy and Spain. These two major maize importing countries depend on exports from Russia and Ukraine. Further on, Egypt claims to have sufficient stocks, but for a few months at most. The war also disrupted the supply of fertilizers.
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The FNSEA welcomed the emergency measures taken by the European Commission. It is possible in particular to cultivate fallow land. A position that many NGOs have castigated as a sign of a return to the productivist system.
Organized at the end of the congress, the great agricultural oral will bring together eight presidential candidates. President Emmanuel Macron, also a candidate, has pledged to come. His speech will be scrutinized closely, given the geopolitical context.