“The earth is low, the earth is weary. » In the eyes of the farmers gathered in front of the Finistère departmental council, this Friday, December 20, there was indeed a lot of discouragement. And anger. For a few hours, the latter left their farms to denounce the reform of the RSA (Active Solidarity Income). Experimented in Finistère since March 1, 2024 before generalization to all departments on January 1, 2025, this reform conditions the payment of the RSA on the achievement of at least 15 hours of weekly activity. The activities covered by the system are varied: immersion in a company, obtaining a driving license, carrying out procedures to access rights, participation in activities in the voluntary sector, etc.
“This reform is justified in the context of personalized job search support, but cannot apply to farmers,” says Maryvonne Le Hir, market gardener in Berrien. “Due to temporary or prolonged drops in resources, many farmers are eligible for RSA. Those who ask for it do so because they really have no other choice. To take away this help is to shoot them in the foot. »
From a logistical point of view, she deplores a reform that is impossible to implement in the agricultural world: “When you have 60 hours of work or more per week, it's impossible to work anywhere else! “. At one time, she also benefited from the RSA: “If I hadn't had the right to it, it would have been very complicated. The RSA is a buoy. Now is not the time to puncture it.”
“The RSA is the last parachute before poverty”
Romain, a young farmer currently being established, believes that the reform will create social disruption: “The RSA was opened to the agricultural world to prevent farmers from finding themselves in poverty. Because we know, the economic context is not favorable to us. Withdrawing the RSA from farmers means risking that they will no longer have enough to live on.”
Bastien Moysan, spokesperson for the Peasant Confederation, would like more flexibility from the departmental council, in charge of applying the law. “They tell us that they can act on a case-by-case basis if we send them files… But we are not social workers! If the departmental council cannot change the law, it can apply it with more parsimony and intelligence. Among farmers, the RSA is often the last parachute before poverty. Our elected officials must be aware of this. »
