Because the agricultural sector in France braces for the annual Salon de l’agriculture in Paris amid a resurgence of farmer mobilization and rising discontent, the highlight typically misses a crucial section of the French agricultural panorama—the abroad territories. MEP Maxette Pirbakas, herself a fifth-generation farmer from Guadeloupe, has raised her voice to make sure these areas should not forgotten.
In a strong assertion, Pirbakas highlighted the distinct challenges confronted by farmers in France’s abroad departments and territories. “At a time once we are witnessing a resurgence of farmer mobilization, resulting from rising discontent just some days earlier than the opening of the Salon de l’agriculture in Paris; whereas the farmers’ motion presently enjoys vital public assist; and farmers are courted by all political events for political acquire; it’s important to not neglect the agricultural operators within the abroad territories,” Pirbakas stated.
She emphasised the distinctive points these territories face, which differ considerably from these on the mainland. These embody unfair competitors, inadequate agricultural product pricing, and an extra of norms and administrative constraints. A selected level of competition is the pricing mannequin for sugarcane in Guadeloupe, which has remained unchanged for over 60 years, prompting native farmers to mobilize.
The geographical, climatic, and historic specificities of those territories necessitate a tailor-made method to agriculture. Regardless of widespread challenges throughout these areas, every territory faces distinctive obstacles resulting from its particular geographical, demographic, and weather conditions, and regional atmosphere.
Pirbakas identified the multifunctionality of agriculture in abroad territories as a typical issue, encompassing financial, ecological, and social parts. A notable function of agriculture in these areas is the prevalence of small and really small farms, or micro-farms, which play an important position in stopping city exodus and sustaining rural exercise, particularly in areas with excessive potential.
Furthermore, the bigger, extra productive farms in these territories, typically centered on exports like sugar and bananas, face their very own set of distinct challenges. These farms, together with their smaller counterparts, contribute considerably to the economic system and play a elementary ecological and social position, extra so than their mainland counterparts.
Highlighting the executive classification of those small-scale farms as “Small-Scale Bioeconomic and Agroecological Agricultures” (APEBA), Pirbakas referred to as for the mixing of practices that protect water and soil high quality, rehabilitate irrigation methods, and revise public agricultural insurance policies and pricing norms to degree the taking part in discipline with direct opponents who don’t face the identical obligations.
With the delicate ecosystems of the abroad territories, there’s a urgent have to stability agricultural manufacturing with environmental respect. This consists of addressing challenges equivalent to local weather change, which these territories face extra acutely than the mainland.
Referencing a 2016 Senate report titled “Agriculture in Abroad Territories: No Future With out Adaptation of the Normative Framework,” Pirbakas questioned what public authorities have performed for the reason that report to enhance the state of affairs for abroad farmers. She referred to as on metropolitan public and union authorities to not overlook their abroad colleagues in discussions and negotiations. “We have to be represented and heard,” Pirbakas concluded, underscoring the necessity for a united method to deal with the precise agricultural challenges of France’s abroad territories.