Tension rises between the French Biodiversity Office and agricultural unions The rural coordination carried out an action this Saturday evening in Toulouse, placing flour in front of and in the OFB headquarters. THE FNSEA will mobilize this Sunday. They are being carried out after an OFB agent compared the farmers to “dealers”, projects which caused controversy.
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They deposited their “goods” in front of the French Biodiversity Office. Saturday night, January 18, members of the rural coordination agricultural union took action to protest against comments made by an OFB agent on France Inter. He compared them to drug dealers.
Yesterday evening, Saturday January 18 in the night, it was the Rural Coordination which carried out an action in front of the same premises of the OFB, asynchronous with the FDSEA. “ We wanted to carry out joint action with FDSEA and the JA but they refused because the elections to the Chamber of Agriculture are approaching. », explains Lionel Candelon, President of the Rural coordination of Occitanie.
Plaster and quicklime in front of the OFB premises
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© Lionel Candelon
The farmers thus placed plaster, quicklime and coatings in front of the administration. “We are dealers so we drop off our goods », Describes the representative, who spins the metaphor: “since we have become lawless zones, we refuse checks by OFB agents.”
-The union affirms that from now on the farmer will give a written agreement before any control and hopes that “ agriculture is not sacrificed for the benefit of the environment ».
It was an intervention by an OFB agent which triggered the indignation of several agricultural unions. On the airwaves of France Inter, on January 15, it put “ a minority of farmers who have problems with OFB agents » on the same level as “ dealers who would ask police officers to no longer control deal points” .
A comparison which did not leave the agricultural unions unmoved. The FNSEA immediately reacted and demanded that OFB agents no longer control the farms.
In Occitania, the FDSEA and Young Farmers also reacted. They are planning a symbolic action this evening, Sunday January 19 in front of the OFB premises in Troulouse: an Agrideal. “ This is a symbolic and ironic action where farmers will take the role of lookout while others hang the banners », Explains Laure Serres, president of FDSEA 31.
To date, “ apologies from the supervisory ministry of the OFB, the ministry of the environment have not been formulated », Regrets the president. She also judges the “ misplaced comparison, because we do not refuse the laws of the republic nor the controls “, she emphasizes.
The FNSEA and the JA have planned an action for their part this evening.
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