The verdict of the States General of Food, held in 2017, brought together farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and environmental associations. The participants eagerly awaited the decision on the exit of pesticides, the law on commercial negotiations, and the financing of agricultural investments. President Emmanuel Macron promised a new law on commercial negotiations and requested agricultural inter-professions to present sector plans. Farmers particularly wanted to know the outcome of the second project on healthy, safe, sustainable, and accessible food for all, which required a vote before June 2018.
Expectations and Disappointments
Farmers presented their sector plans, hoping for concrete results. However, despite all distributors signing a charter of good conduct, some of them disregarded the commitments made to the Minister of Agriculture and the Secretary of State for the Economy. This led to concerns that the upcoming law might be more restrictive for those who did not change their practices during the negotiations. Additionally, participants were eagerly awaiting the distribution of the 5 billion euros agricultural investment plan proposed by President Macron, targeting quick implementation in direct collaboration with the regions.
Vision for the Future of Agriculture
The States General of Food provided an opportunity for different stakeholders to present their vision for the future of agriculture. While measures related to training, waste, and food safety achieved consensus, the ecological transition workshop faced challenges in finding unanimity. Environmental associations were particularly interested in a plan to phase out pesticides, including glyphosate. President Macron announced that he expected the government to provide solutions to phase out glyphosate within three years. However, there were concerns about the feasibility of numerical objectives, considering the previous failure of the plan to halve the use of phytosanitary products by 2018.
Coherence and Future Actions
Given the scale of the topics discussed during the States General of Food, the France Nature Environment association called for coherence between the conclusions of the event and the subsequent actions of the government. They requested a second phase in January to ensure that the announced measures aligned with legislative actions, sector plans, and other initiatives in the ministries.
Source: The verdict of the States General of Food – https://lexpress.mu/node/323229
