Damien Cariou, agronomist: “Food sovereignty requires an agroecological transition, as the intensive model is running out of steam.”

Faced with the challenges facing French agriculture—increasing energy costs, climate change, fierce international competition, reduced incomes, etc.—some are brandishing food sovereignty as a shield against environmental demands. It's an almost comfortable way of saying, "We can no longer afford to change; let us produce more and faster, like our competitors."

This logic is a dead end. Food sovereignty cannot be based on a losing race against countries that produce at much lower costs and with incomparable standards.

Let's take a simple example: the cost of producing wheat. In France, it ranges between €170 and €190 per tonne. In the United States, it's more like €120 to €140. This differential reflects structural realities specific to the world's leading economic power: larger farms, fewer social and environmental constraints, and lower yields on overexploited land.

Our food sovereignty cannot be built on the fragility of an intensive agricultural model that is running out of steam. This would mean abandoning what makes our model unique and potentially powerful: its diversity, its proximity, and its ability to provide services to society: using fewer pesticides contributes to less polluted water and soil, and cultivating small areas replanted with hedges contributes to the biodiversity and beauty of our rural landscapes.

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