On the quays of Rouen, at the entrance to the Water Agency, the plaque still bears traces of the passage of the Young Farmers and the FNSEA of Seine-Maritime. Two weeks after these demonstrations to denounce the excess of standards demanded of the professionthe competing union of the Confédération Paysanne also undertook to demonstrate in front of the premises of the organization this Wednesday, December 11, rather to defend it.
Fight for better pay, not against standards
Its spokesperson in Seine Maritime, Mathieu Grenier, believes that attacking the water agency in this way is make a mistake in fighting : “We are quite worried about this drift which consists of criticizing environmental standards, when the basic problem is still income and prices for farmers. The challenges of water quality in Seine-Maritime are very strong, now is not the time to hammer on that but rather to face them head on. Alert the farmers, do not fall into this demagoguery. Rather, it is necessary protect ourselves from global trade, improve our income and maintain the ambition to protect our resources which are our common future“.
Bastien Roques
For her part, Zoé Collins-Coppalle, market gardener in Saint-Germain-des-Essourts between Rouen and Forges-les-Eaux, deplores a recent episode of deterioration in water quality in her town: “We received a letter telling us that the levels of two substances had been exceeded and that therefore we had to obtain an exemption to continue drinking tap water. Me I use water in my fields, I drink it at home, and my children too every day. We would like this water to simply not be polluted.“.
Agricultural professional elections are approaching
In its sights: the productivist agricultural model promoted by competing (and majority) unions: “The water agency has reminded us that water pollution today is mainly caused by agriculture. There is a real problem with the agriculture that is being promoted today by public agricultural policies. If we really gave agriculture the means not to pollute water, many farmers could take the plunge. Unfortunately these means are not given.“
Bastien Roques
Today a simple member of the Peasant Confederation, she is also on the list of candidates for professional agricultural elections approaching big step for the unions. They are scheduled for January 15 to 31, 2025.
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