LIs ecology doomed to fade away in the face of the wall of economic and social reality? This is the concern that is spreading after the government’s announcements aimed at putting an end to the agricultural revolt. While it was decided to ” break “ in the effort to reduce pesticides, reasoned management of land and water and decarbonization of the sector, everyone is wondering if we are at the dawn of a gigantic domino effect. Because the main difficulty expressed by farmers – the inability to sell their products at the right price, one that includes a decent salary and ecologically responsible production – impacts all manufacturing sectors exposed to global competition.
In textiles, furniture, the automobile industry, cosmetics and even metallurgy, the intensity of the crises is different, but the challenges are similar: how to produce soberly, with local jobs and protective social models when the market is flooded with low-cost, polluting and socially inferior products?
If some consumers can value ecological and social quality in their purchases, it is clear that the tyranny of low prices is gaining ground every day with its share of destruction: while seven out of ten clothes sold in our country are of At the entry level, French clothing brands are laying off or closing one after the other, leading to unemployment in France and social exploitation abroad. Without reaction, “made in France” will disappear while social and ecological costs increase for everyone.
Transition effort required of all
As committed business leaders, we are convinced that our era has no reason to be written in this tragic way. For agriculture as for the entire economy, provided we design the rules that will allow fair competition, we are not condemned to sacrifice the long term for the short term, the end of the world at the end of the month. This means no longer conceiving our models as a binary choice between ecology and economy, responsibility and purchasing power, but as a balance between a transition-protection-remuneration triptych to achieve the right price for things.
The transition must respect ambitious and negotiated decarbonization and biodiversity regeneration objectives, close enough without being brutal. This is what corresponds to the ban on the sale of thermal vehicles in 2035 in Europe or what corresponded to the objective of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% in the Ecophyto plan, now on hold. These objectives are essential to slow down climate change, the collapse of life but also air, food and an environment that are preserved and healthy for all.
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