environmentalists “are not the enemies of agriculture”, assures Marine Tondelier

“I don’t think environmentalists are the enemies of agriculture”, declares Wednesday, May 24 on franceinfo Marine Tondelier, national secretary of Europe-Ecology Les Verts who partially approves the latest report of the Court of Auditors, published on Monday. The report calls for a significant reduction in the herd of French cows – responsible for 12% of greenhouse gases – to reduce the carbon footprint and thus pollute less.

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“I think everyone has understood – even those who love meat – that the amount of meat we eat per capita in France is not sustainable for the planet and is not good for your health”, she indicates. The ecologist relies on the fact that raising animals to eat them requires a lot of resources: “When you eat meat, you also have to take into account the carbon footprint of the livestock.” She gives the example of maize, which is difficult to cultivate, “especially when there is a risk of drought : more than 80% of the maize grown in France is to feed livestock. It is therefore necessary to take into consideration the water that it took to feed the animal before eating it”she continues.

“In politics, you have to wear your courage”

For her, we must face reality: “I don’t think it’s not liking agriculture that their [les agriculteurs] tell the truth. With or without ecologists, they will run out of water, with or without ecologists, they will have a problem – with 4 more degrees – producing the same things in the same places“, she says, while France aims to contain global warming to a maximum of + 2 degrees, but must prepare for a rise in temperatures of 4 degrees. The government is trying not to alienate farmers, but for the environmentalist, policies must above all “knowing how to say when you go into the wall”.

In the Netherlands, the government has put in place a drastic plan to reduce nitrogen emissions by 50% by 2030. This plan has led to a wave of protest among livestock farmers in the country, with the rise of the party populist at the head of the political forces. “We are told to be careful with agriculture because it will push the RN”, but in politics “You have to be brave”.