Tensions in the agricultural sector have escalated due to the armed inspections by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), leading to a significant strike by its agents. With safety concerns and inadequate staffing, approximately 80% of the 3,000 agents participated in the strike. The OFB, tasked with enforcing biodiversity regulations, faces criticism for its methods, while the government acknowledges the contentious nature of inspections. Unions continue to negotiate for better conditions amidst the ongoing unrest.
Understanding the Tensions Surrounding Biodiversity Inspections
The question arises: “Is it truly necessary for agents to be armed while overseeing hedge management?” In January 2024, Gabriel Attal, who was then serving as Prime Minister, introduced a set of measures intended to diffuse rising tensions within the agricultural sector. Central to the controversy are the inspections conducted by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), a government body committed to safeguarding biodiversity.
A year following this declaration, OFB agents, whose actions remain a topic of contention among political figures and agricultural organizations, initiated an unprecedented strike on January 31 to voice their concerns and call for increased support from government authorities.
The Scale of the Strike and Its Implications
With 3,000 agents, including 1,700 environmental inspectors, the OFB is facing significant challenges. Reports indicate that the agency’s premises have been vandalized and its personnel threatened. Since mid-January, many inspectors have opted to withdraw from their environmental monitoring responsibilities on farms, citing safety issues. Initial estimates suggest that around 80% of the agents participated in the strike, as noted by Eric Gourdin, the general secretary of Unsa Écologie.
Established in 2020 from the merger of the French Agency for Biodiversity and the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife, the OFB is entrusted with several critical missions. These include establishing environmental policing, sharing knowledge on biodiversity, supporting public policies, managing protected areas, and engaging with civil society. Operating under the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the OFB employs 3,000 agents, with approximately 2,000 working in the field. Among them, 1,700 hold the status of environmental inspectors, possessing both administrative and judicial police powers to enforce regulations on pesticide use and hedge removal.
Gourdin argues that the number of field agents is inadequate for the breadth of their responsibilities, stating, “With all the missions we’ve been given, we are not numerous enough to maintain a sufficient presence in the field.” The presence of armed inspectors has intensified conflicts with the agricultural community, which perceives the inspections as overly intrusive and intimidating.
A recent ministerial directive mandates that agents carry weapons discreetly during farm visits. Nevertheless, an inter-ministerial report reveals that only about 10% of farms were inspected in 2023, translating to roughly 3,000 out of 400,000 farms nationwide. Moreover, less than 5% of these inspections result in judicial proceedings, and most inspections are conducted by agencies other than the OFB.
For Gourdin, the necessity of carrying weapons is paramount for the safety of agents, stating, “We operate within very regulated frameworks […] It’s a false controversy; we are tasked with monitoring very dangerous individuals, like poachers.” He emphasizes that farmers are not specifically targeted by their inspections.
Education is also a key mission for the OFB. “An inspection does not equate to a fine. For instance, in Isère, out of all inspections over six months, only one report was filed,” explained Véronique Caraco-Giordano, general secretary of the National Environment Union of the Unit Trade Union Federation, during a January 2024 interview. The OFB agents are not “environmental vigilantes”; their role is simply to uphold the regulations, as reiterated by the agency’s director general, Olivier Thibault, at a recent hearing.
In an effort to alleviate the situation, OFB unions were engaged in discussions with Prime Minister François Bayrou on January 24. While Bayrou acknowledged that certain inspections could be perceived as humiliating, he expressed confidence in the agents’ work. However, this sentiment did not resonate with the striking agents. Gourdin lamented, “We were not heard at all; we felt somewhat mocked.” He further criticized the Prime Minister, stating, “For a year, we have bent our backs. We felt very humiliated; he put a target on our backs.” The inter-union is set to convene on Monday to determine the next steps in the ongoing strike movement.