For the upstream of the field crops sectors, achieving the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (–22% between 2015 and 2030) of the national low carbon strategy (SNBC) is “technically achievable” but economically complex. This was what Arvalis indicated on November 7, 2024, when presenting the low-carbon roadmap for the field crops sectors. The two inter-professions Intercéales (cereals) and Terres Univia (oil-protein crops) supported this observation on November 26, 2024, during a briefing with the press.
Additional costs and risk taking
The whole question lies in covering the additional costs linked to well-identified decarbonization levers, and supporting the risk-taking that this represents for farmers. “Decarbonization is investment. We're going to have to put money on the table,” declares Christophe Büren, elected representative of Intercéales and referent on carbon. State support, private sector initiatives, additional costs for consumers… Several options coexist.
The OleoZE approach, launched by Saipol 6 years ago, promotes, for example, low-carbon rapeseed and sunflower via a premium paid to producers. “There are initiatives emerging everywhere,” underlines Benjamin Lammert, president of Terres Univia. For him, the question that arises for the interprofessions is that of the mass effect and acceleration.
“We need strong, clear and legible commitments from the State as well,” said Olivier Dauger, elected representative from Intercéales. And not only budgetary, but also normative and regulatory. » However, he says he is “extremely worried” in view of the zero budget currently provided for in the finance bill for 2025 for the protein plan and decarbonization.
In any case, there will be “no transition without income” for producers, he believes, echoing the agricultural demonstrations.
Do not export broadcasts
Intercéales and Terres Univia insisted on the need to maintain French production capacity, and not depend on imports, which are also synonymous with GHG emissions abroad. The objective, and not the least, is to maintain the competitiveness of French sectors while many major countries on the international agricultural scene are not committing in the same way to the issue. Thus, “we must prioritize French food, energy and protein sovereignty,” declares Christophe Büren.
The importance of low-carbon grain sectors
Regarding the downstream sector (collection and processing), it is possible, according to the inter-professional groups, to achieve a 24% reduction in GHG emissions between 2015 and 2030, in line with the objectives of the national strategy. low carbon.
This would mobilize a set of levers such as energy sobriety and efficiency, modal shift, flow optimization, but also the purchase of low-carbon agricultural raw materials. This last lever is important because 70% of downstream emissions are linked to “Scop 3”, in other words to the agricultural raw materials that companies purchase. And it is even more so since the latter are or will be required to reduce their carbon footprint with regard to European regulations.
The importance of water
In addition to reducing emissions, carbon storage in soils and increased biomass production have their role to play. However, “one of the obstacles to biomass production is the availability of water”, supports Christophe Büren. Therefore, according to him, it is necessary to work on this issue in parallel.
