It's one of his oldest refrains. As part of the elections for members of the Vaucluse Chamber of Agriculture, which began on Wednesday January 15 and ended on the 31st, at the end of the month, the Movement for the Defense of Family Farmers (Modef) is not letting go of its historic demand .
A demand that has become a major concern, with the crisis that has shaken the agricultural world for more than a year.
“The crux of the matter is remuneration,” says Nicolas Olive, who is also a cooperative winegrower in La Tour-d'Aigues, at the head of the list. We work twice as much land as our parents in terms of surface area, and we receive half as much income. »
An observation which should lead, according to him, to the implementation of “emergency measures”.
“The current Chamber of Agriculture is not playing its role”
Among other things, the agricultural union is calling for the fixing of remunerative floor prices guaranteed by the State, a ban on selling at a loss for farmers, but also additional aid which guarantees a minimum wage during the five years following the launch of 'an exploitation.
Without forgetting the introduction of a multiplier coefficient. “For a bottle of wine bought for €20 at a restaurant [ce qui correspond au prix moyen de l’AOP Ventoux, du Côtes-Du-Rhône et du Luberon, NDLR]only 67 cents goes to the winegrower's turnover,” illustrates Gilles Bernard, number 2 on the list and arborist in Bédoin. The remaining €19.33 is linked to marketing and taxes on dry materials.
Another hobbyhorse of the union at the national level: stopping free trade agreements and removing agriculture from the World Trade Organization (WTO). “It’s a whole system that needs to change,” continues the former president of Modef Vaucluse. A change which comes first and foremost through these elections. Because the union regrets here “the opaque management” of the current Chamber of Agriculture, represented in the majority by the FDSEA with 14 seats, followed by the Peasant Confederation (1 seat), the Rural Coordination and the Modef (1 seat each). “It does not defend the farmers enough, it does not play its role with the public authorities. If Modef is elected, we also commit to being more transparent about our actions. »
-With, more than ever, a major challenge. “We have to take agriculture out of the tunnel. If we do not resolve all these problems, if we do not change the agricultural model, it is heading for disaster. » And an ambition that is nevertheless measured: “We simply ask to make a living from our profession. »
A rejuvenated list
As part of these elections, Modef presents a list in 17 French departments, including two in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
Rejuvenated and almost entirely renewed, that of Vaucluse is counting on twenty candidates “representative of local agriculture”: Nicolas Olive, cooperative winegrower in La Tour-d'Aigues; Gilles Bernard, arborist and wine grower in Bédoin; Isabelle Marcellin, winegrower in Mazan; Simon Triboulet, winegrower in Bédoin; Julien Frech, cooperative winegrower in Pertuis; Céline Barnéoud, cooperating winegrower in Pertuis; Elian Bonnet, arborist and wine grower in Flassan; Michel Filliol, winegrower and arborist in Malaucène; Christelle Moinier-Garnero, winemaker at Faucon; Florian Rodriguez, cooperative winegrower and hemp producer in Pertuis; Jean-Marc Piot, market gardener in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue; Marianne Cabezas, winegrower in Beaumes-de-Venise; Farid Sghir, arborist and market gardener in Sarrians; Jean Juillard, market gardener in Saint-Pantaléon; Colette Michel-Brunet, cooperating winegrower at La Tour-d'Aigues; Frédéric Trémond, arborist and wine grower in Le Barroux; Etienne Imbert, winegrower in Gordes; Corinne Varraire, cooperating winegrower at La Tour-d'Aigues; Frédéric Lambert, winegrower in Beaumes-de-Venise; Gérard Brémond, cereal grower, asparagus producer and wine grower in Pertuis.
