Latest news with #Salondel'Agriculture
Local France
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Local France
France's agriculture show, an outlet for angry farmers
One of the world's largest agriculture fairs, the "Salon de l'Agriculture" that opened Saturday, attracts some 600,000 visitors over nine days. The bonanza showcases all aspects of French agriculture which despite the country's rapid post-war industrialisation is still a European leader in the sector. France is the European Union's top cereal and beef producer, the world's second-largest producer of wine, and makes a staggering 1,200 varieties of cheese. The sector's gigantic economic role makes the gathering a mandatory stop for French leaders, but also a political minefield, as President Emmanuel Macron discovered to his cost at last year's edition. During his entire 13 hour-long visit among 1,400 exhibitors and 4,000 animals a year ago, the president was heckled as protesting farmers crashed gates and fought with police, prompting repeated temporary closures of the entire event. Before cutting the ribbon for this year's show Saturday, Macron met with farming associations, called for "respectful dialogue" and gave assurances that France was still fighting against a free-trade agreement between the European Union and members of South America's Mercosur bloc that has farmers up in arms. Macron's advisors also urged him to spend less time at the fair than last year to limit the number of potentially hostile encounters. 'Won't shake Macron's hand' Guy Desile, a 58-year-old cereal farmer in the northwestern Eure region, told AFP ahead of the event that he feared "losing it" as his debts build up. "I won't shake Macron's hand," said Jean-Philippe Yon, a livestock farmer from northern France, accusing the government of failing to ensure sufficient income for farmers. "We expect concrete steps from the president," he said. Farmers in the southern Tarn area are running a campaign of turning road signs in the wrong direction in protest against the government, an illustration of the "It's all gone topsy-turvy" slogan that the powerful farming union FNSEA has had printed on T-shirts for its members. Such protests can be effective. In 2024, after weeks of farmers blocking motorways, then prime minister Gabriel Attal scrapped a planned fuel tax rise affecting the sector although the move turned out to do little to appease the protesters. The French movement was copied elsewhere in Europe, including in Poland where solidarity with Ukraine began to crumble in the face of unwelcome farming imports from the eastern neighbour at war with Russia. French statistics show that close to half of the families running farms live below the poverty line, are often deep in debt and depend heavily on government subsidies for survival. 'Forced on them decades ago' At the heart of the problem lies a rapid and profound change in their business conditions, ranging from new rules linked to climate change and health requirements, to price pressure brought on by big agro-business and cheaper competition from abroad. "Farmers are being asked to change a system that was forced on them decades ago," said Edouard Lynch, a historian, adding that government support has been insufficient to offset the impact of change. Structural problems have been compounded by misfortune: Excessive rainfall in the autumn of 2024 caused wheat production to drop to its lowest level in four decades and wine production to fall by a quarter, while livestock was decimated by devastating epidemics. Macron has been eager to show that the government still has farmers' backs. He reminded reporters that he was trying to assemble a "blocking minority" of EU members to prevent the Mercosur accord from being implemented. "Our farmers cannot become an adjustment tool," Macron said. European farmers are crying foul over supposedly less stringent regulations on the sector in South America, pointing especially to the industry's role in destroying huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest, a crucial buffer against climate change. Macron also said on Saturday that he would tell US President Donald Trump not to make allies "suffer" with new tariffs when he meets him in Washington on Monday. French wine and cognac exporters, who sell vast quantities of produce in the US, would be especially hard-hit if Trump makes good on his tariff threats.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
France's agriculture show, an outlet for angry farmers
France's annual Agriculture Show has become a hotbed of protest by farmers, exasperated by low produce prices, heavy regulations and global competition, against the government they say doesn't care for them enough. One of the world's largest agriculture fairs, the "Salon de l'Agriculture" that opened Saturday, attracts some 600,000 visitors over nine days. The bonanza showcases all aspects of French agriculture which despite the country's rapid post-war industrialisation is still a European leader in the sector. France is the European Union's top cereal and beef producer, the world's second-largest producer of wine, and makes a staggering 1,200 varieties of cheese. The sector's gigantic economic role makes the gathering a mandatory stop for French leaders, but also a political minefield, as President Emmanuel Macron discovered to his cost at last year's edition. During his entire 13 hour-long visit among 1,400 exhibitors and 4,000 animals a year ago, the president was heckled as protesting farmers crashed gates and fought with police, prompting repeated temporary closures of the entire event. Before cutting the ribbon for this year's show Saturday, Macron met with farming associations, called for "respectful dialogue" and gave assurances that France was still fighting against a free-trade agreement between the European Union and members of South America's Mercosur bloc that has farmers up in arms. Macron's advisors also urged him to spend less time at the fair than last year to limit the number of potentially hostile encounters. - 'Won't shake Macron's hand' - Guy Desile, a 58-year-old cereal farmer in the northwestern Eure region, told AFP ahead of the event that he feared "losing it" as his debts build up. "I won't shake Macron's hand," said Jean-Philippe Yon, a livestock farmer from northern France, accusing the government of failing to ensure sufficient income for farmers. "We expect concrete steps from the president," he said. Farmers in the southern Tarn area are running a campaign of turning road signs in the wrong direction in protest against the government, an illustration of the "It's all gone topsy-turvy" slogan that the powerful farming union FNSEA has had printed on T-shirts for its members. Such protests can be effective. In 2024, after weeks of farmers blocking motorways, then prime minister Gabriel Attal scrapped a planned fuel tax rise affecting the sector although the move turned out to do little to appease the protesters. The French movement was copied elsewhere in Europe, including in Poland where solidarity with Ukraine began to crumble in the face of unwelcome farming imports from the eastern neighbour at war with Russia. French statistics show that close to half of the families running farms live below the poverty line, are often deep in debt and depend heavily on government subsidies for survival. - 'Forced on them decades ago' - At the heart of the problem lies a rapid and profound change in their business conditions, ranging from new rules linked to climate change and health requirements, to price pressure brought on by big agro-business and cheaper competition from abroad. "Farmers are being asked to change a system that was forced on them decades ago," said Edouard Lynch, a historian, adding that government support has been insufficient to offset the impact of change. Structural problems have been compounded by misfortune: Excessive rainfall in the autumn of 2024 caused wheat production to drop to its lowest level in four decades and wine production to fall by a quarter, while livestock was decimated by devastating epidemics. Macron has been eager to show that the government still has farmers' backs. He reminded reporters that he was trying to assemble a "blocking minority" of EU members to prevent the Mercosur accord from being implemented. "Our farmers cannot become an adjustment tool," Macron said. European farmers are crying foul over supposedly less stringent regulations on the sector in South America, pointing especially to the industry's role in destroying huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest, a crucial buffer against climate change. Macron also said on Saturday that he would tell US President Donald Trump not to make allies "suffer" with new tariffs when he meets him in Washington on Monday. French wine and cognac exporters, who sell vast quantities of produce in the US, would be especially hard-hit if Trump makes good on his tariff threats. burs/jh/cw
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Agriculture Show opens in Paris with Morocco as guest of honour
Morocco will take centre stage at the 61st Agriculture Show, opening on 22 February in Paris, marking the first time a foreign country has been honoured as a guest of the renowned French fair. The "Salon de l'Agriculture" showcase is a major annual event in France, attracting some 600,000 visitors over nine days, and for the first time in more than 60 years, the fair will welcome a foreign country as guest of honour. "I looked at the European level, and at all the fairs, the international aspect of exchanges is emphasised. We cannot remain closed off from the world," Jérôme Desprey, president of the show, said on Friday. "We see this with the deterioration of our trade balance, which weighs on our agriculture. The Agricultural Show is also business, with the presence of interprofessional organisations and sectors," Desprey added. When asked about this choice in the context of tensions between France and Algeria, French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard explained earlier this month that it was the decision of the show organisers, while asserting that it was a "good choice," which "continues the visit" of President Emmanuel Macron in October to Morocco. "We are within the framework of the International Agricultural Show. I want us to stay as much as possible within the agricultural field," added Genevard. Cherry tomato production Read more on RFI EnglishRead also:EU ramps up support for farmers with agricultural policy overhaul'My Cow, My Choice': Kenyan farmers resist livestock vaccination campaignFrench farmer convoys head to Paris as protests continue over pay, conditions
Local France
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Local France
La Belle Vie: Embracing mistakes in both French and English, plus France's top farm show
La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences in 'My account'. I am very sad to say that this year I will have to miss out on one of my favourite events in the French cultural calendar: France's biggest farm show, due to a trip away. I rave about the Salon de l'Agriculture to everyone that will listen. For my fellow city dwellers, it's a wonderful opportunity to go look at (and smell) some of the country's award-winning farm animals. As a foreigner, the Salon de l'Agriculture is also a perfect way to get an overview of French cuisine and savoir-faire. You can taste everything from local wines to olive oil directly from the south of France, via Alsatian choucroute and of course more types of cheese than you can count. It's very worth the visit if you find yourself in the Paris area at the end of February, though be warned that it can get crowded quickly. I recommend going on a weekday if possible and booking your ticket in advance. Trade and farm shows are an underrated way to get a taste of French gastronomy, and they can also be a nice way to practice your French with willing participants. That said, you might find yourself having to shout over the crowds, so practising French in a quieter environment might be better. The one complaint I hear from a lot of fellow foreigners is about how challenging it is to get people to respond in French. If it's clear you're still a beginner, native French speakers might assume it is easier to speak English with you. It's hard to overcome this, but the traditional advice is true: just keep speaking French until they speak French back. If this fails, do not consider switching to English to be a total loss. Odds are the French person you are speaking with is not completely bilingual and eventually they will make some mistakes. I've found that paying attention to the mistakes French people make in English can really improve your French, as convoluted as that may sound. Over the years, my relationship dynamic has turned into me speaking mostly in English and my partner speaking mostly in French. It works for us, though we have both noticed that sometimes we often unintentionally use exact (though incorrect) translations of words from the other language. For example, I recounted a story about the Covid-19 lockdowns recently and said something along the lines of "During confinement, the police were stationed next to the Monoprix to control people." I did not even notice how strange that sentence would sound to any random English speaker (and neither did my partner). I don't know how much of this is a subconscious attempt to make my English more clear for him, or if my brain really has gone native. Either way, my English clearly has suffered a bit from the French influence. I made another one of these mistakes a few days ago. One of my close friends from the US is planning a visit in May, and texted her some ' resto ' recommendations. Apparently 'resto' is not a common abbreviation for 'restaurant' in English. We got to chatting about how she might spend her days while I am at work, and she expressed some concern about not speaking French. I reassured her that as a tourist (especially in a big city like Paris), as long as you make an effort to say hello in French and maybe memorise the line Je ne parle pas français, people will be generous with you. Unsurprisingly, the Paris region is the part of the country with the best English level, but Paris is not France's #1 city in this regard. There are some parts of France where you can reliably find English-speaking electricians and bars filled with English-speakers, thanks to the many British second-home owners. It's more than just a rumour that Brits love south-west France - the data backs it up too. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the top region, with Brits representing 45 percent of all non-resident buyers in 2022. It contains the popular départements of Dordogne and Charente. These areas are a good option if it is a priority to move to an area with a high number of fellow native English speakers. That said, sometimes these parts of France are targets for 'cheap French property' ads. If the property is being sold at a shockingly low price, usually there is a reason. It might need expensive repairs, or it might actually be a viager property (meaning it will continue belonging to its elderly inhabitant until their death).
Ya Biladi
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Macron invites King Mohammed VI to French agriculture fair
French President Emmanuel Macron has extended an invitation to King Mohammed VI to attend the prestigious Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris, set for February 22 to March 2, 2025. Morocco has been designated as the guest of honor for this edition, mirroring France's role as the guest of honor at the upcoming Salon International de l'Agriculture de Meknès (SIAM), scheduled from April 21 to 27. According to Le Monde, the Moroccan monarch has yet to respond to this official invitation. Should King Mohammed VI accept, this would mark his first visit to France since 2018, symbolizing a significant step towards strengthening ties between the two nations. This invitation follows France's recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, announced during the 25th anniversary of the Throne Day. The recognition was part of a series of diplomatic gestures, including President Macron's state visit to Rabat from October 28 to 30, 2024. During Macron's visit, the two countries signed 22 agreements aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation across various sectors, notably agriculture. Additionally, King Mohammed VI and President Macron endorsed a «Partnership of Exceptional Strength», designed to tackle shared challenges effectively. The upcoming Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris is expected to host a substantial Moroccan delegation. Le Monde reports that agricultural trade between the two nations has been flourishing, buoyed by increased French cereal exports and rising Moroccan fruit and vegetable exports. Organizers of SIAM 2025 have previously emphasized that selecting France as the guest of honor underscores «the excellent relations between the two countries». Macron's invitation also coincides with tensions in the agricultural sector, as French farming organizations have initiated legal proceedings against what they term as «unfair competition» from Morocco. Earlier this year, the Conseil d'Etat dismissed the Confédération Paysanne's attempt to ban imports of cherry tomatoes and melons from the Charente region, labeled as originating from the Sahara. The Court of Cassation ruled that «the prohibition measure requested by the association falls within the remit of the European authorities, and that the ministers responsible for the economy and agriculture could not legally prohibit» these imports into France.
