Peasant Confederation: Aurélien Mourier, the president of the Ardèche farmers with a collective attitude

In Préaux, in Ardèche, the Amélie farm overlooks the valley, at an altitude of 500 meters. Sitting at a picnic table a stone's throw from his cheese dairy, Aurélien Mourier recounts the events of recent months. The historic victory of "la Conf", a left-wing agricultural union, which beat "la Fédé" by 31 votes (1), his election as president of the Chamber of Agriculture, which came down to a single ballot, and the first steps of his term. "We offered a place on the board to all the unions, something that had never been done before," he assures. An outstretched hand refused by the FDSEA, but accepted by the Rural Coordination and the CFDT. Among the other actions, the withdrawal of subsidies to the local agricultural press, affiliated with the FDSEA, and equal envelopes for each agricultural union as part of actions to promote agriculture. "The chamber is no longer the body of a single union," assures the 44-year-old elected official, who has also resigned from his position as spokesperson for the Ardèche Peasant Confederation.

Under the spring sunshine, Aurélien Mourier's story continues. Behind him, the forests form a gradient of green, punctuated by stone houses. The breeder knows this idyllic landscape by heart. The house he occupies today is his grandfather's, which he and his wife, Karine, were able to buy in 2005, before prices skyrocketed. Over the years, the couple developed the farm, the 150 goats, and the