What do the candidates propose on agriculture?

All week, the political brief takes stock of the programs of the main candidates for the European elections on June 9. Tuesday, May 21, we examine the proposals in terms of agriculture.

Since farmers’ anger erupted at the start of the year, all parties have sought to present themselves as the first defenders of agriculture. At the heart of the candidates’ programs for the European elections on June 9: the CAP.

The Common Agricultural Policy, according to Macronist Valérie Hayer, must direct its aid towards new generations of farmers and towards more environmentally friendly practices. A decidedly greener CAP is what the ecologist Marie Toussaint, the head of the PS list Raphaël Glucksmann and the rebellious Manon Aubry are calling for. These three left-wing candidates are pleading for a change in philosophy, they want to put an end to aid per hectare, to allocate it according to jobs created and with environmental criteria. The first organic advocate, Marie Toussaint wants to reduce the use of pesticides by 50% by 2030.

The greening of the CAP is obviously not the main concern of candidates further to the right. For the LR candidate François-Xavier Bellamy, we must increase the CAP budget – he is the only candidate to make this proposal – and at the same time repeal the European texts which “harm farmers by advocating degrowth“. Haro on degrowth also for the Reconquête! list of Marion Maréchal – which proposes to ease up on organic – and for Jordan Bardella. In the last European elections of 2019, the RN wanted to replace the CAP with one “French agricultural policy“, this is no longer the case today, even if in the RN program it is a question of “nationalize and simplify the conditions for granting aid“, while adding “national aid“.

To improve farmers’ remuneration, the Macronist and environmentalist lists defend a “European Egalim”, so that trade negotiations benefit producers more. The PS insists on floor prices, while the rebellious Manon Aubry proposes to regulate the margins of the agri-food industry and mass distribution. And to fight against a “unfair competition“, all parties, apart from the Macronists, attack free trade agreements.

In order to support agriculture, there is a trend that runs through several programs, with nuances, in the field of collective catering which involves a relaxation of European rules in terms of public procurement. Valérie Hayer thus pushes the “local preference“so that European schools or hospitals favor short circuit power supply. Marion Maréchal speaks of “national priority“, applied only to school catering, when the RN wants a law”Let’s eat French“. The ecological variant of Marie Toussaint consists of setting collective catering objectives of “local, organic and plant-based products“. LR is not specifically interested in canteens, but wants the VAT rate to be adapted in each country to favor short circuit products.