We are sharing the english translation of the latest press release by our member MIRAMAP – Mouvement Inter-Régional des AMAP.
“Since January 18, farmers have been protesting to demand better working conditions and remuneration. The CSA movement lends its full support and solidarity to farmers in their mobilization. We believe that the forthcoming Agricultural Orientation Law must firmly support an agro-ecological transition that finally guarantees better working conditions, remuneration, and installation for farmers and future farmers.
Remuneration, a fundamental concern in the CSA movement:
The discomfort in the farming world is long-standing. Its current anger is legitimate. For over 20 years, the CSA movement has worked to ensure dignified remuneration for farmers. Our network, bringing together farms and consumers, has grown across the country, gathering over 250,000 consumers and nearly 4,000 farms. It was built in response to a double scandal: the difficulty of finding quality local food and the far too low remuneration of farmers.
Our greatest collective pride is to propose a system that addresses both the remuneration of farmers, environmental protection, and sustainable food. Regardless of the sectors, the risks inherent in this profession must be shared and balanced among all actors: producers, consumers, and intermediaries. The income of farmers must be secured through cooperation mechanisms, for example, through contracting between stakeholders, banning the purchase of agricultural products below the cost price, and through reform of the Common Agricultural Policy that would massively and simply support environmentally friendly productions (including the return of aid for organic maintenance).
Remuneration of farmers and environment are not opposed: the Agricultural Orientation Law must state this from its preamble
The Agricultural Orientation Law (LOA) can establish the conditions for social and national appeasement if it clearly supports agricultural transition and does not leave farmers alone. The production of accessible and chosen quality food, respecting biodiversity, can be remunerative if public authorities decide and act accordingly. Many farms are already engaged in agroecological transition to cope with climate disruptions; they are not sufficiently supported. The transition must be economically and socially accompanied, respecting people’s dignity, so as not to become an additional constraint.
Agriculture and food are everyone’s business; we cannot let farmers bear the brunt of climate and economic shocks alone. Let’s be supportive, engage in the debate, and make our convictions heard. For fair remuneration for farmers and a food democracy guaranteeing sustainable and accessible food: let’s support the farmers’ mobilization and march together throughout France on April 6, 2024.
The MIRAMAP – Inter-Regional Movement of CSAs”.
