Write in french and traduce withe ChatGPT (sorry for that:)
Hello friends of Going To Seed,
It was a pleasure meeting with you yesterday (December 3rd, I believe). I felt all your good vibes, warmth, and humanity—it was truly great and something I needed, as being a farmer in France isn’t easy.
I use the word “farmer” because it conveys an idea of autonomy and freedom that resonates with me. Sadly, we could say that the farming community no longer exists in France as a distinct social group, and that farmers have been wiped out, replaced by proponents of industrial, disconnected agriculture in the wake of the post-war Green Revolution (after 1945).
What I wanted to clarify with you is that my approach to seeds, and specifically farmer seeds, is a political one—it’s about reclaiming control over our food autonomy. Developing a method for varietal creation through the PEPS method fully aligns with this vision. It gives us, as stewards of the land (gardeners, market gardeners, etc.), the means to regain autonomy in on-farm varietal creation through a grassroots and community-driven process. Far from labs and their techniques, which are entirely out of our reach, far from patents and financial markets.
If we want to define a strategy to make a greater impact, gain visibility, and encourage as many gardeners—and hopefully market gardeners, growers, farmers, and agricultural workers—as possible to take back control of seeds, it seems important to identify what drives us. Let’s see if we can define a shared vision, some broad principles, and a foundation that allows us to move forward together while maintaining trust in one another.
Right now, many movements are seeking to converge our struggles to launch a strong social movement. The Yellow Vests were a remarkable collective momentum, but COVID put a sudden stop to it. How can we revive such a movement, with all our differences and shared goals, without falling into the fascist trap?
Collaborating with existing movements and supporting their actions seems like a path we can take quickly and effectively.
Here’s what I’m involved in:
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The Confédération Paysanne: I’m a member of this farmers’ union, which upholds the values of peasant farming.
https://www.confederationpaysanne.fr/
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The Groupement des Agriculteurs Biologiques (GAB): I’m on the board for my department in Haute-Saône and represent it at the regional level within Bio Bourgogne Franche-Comté (BIO BFC).
https://biobfc.org/
I’m also a member of the Fédération Nationale de l’Agriculture Biologique (FNAB):
https://www.fnab.org/
My involvement in GAB and BIO BFC allows me to better understand the challenges my fellow farmers (livestock farmers, crop growers, beekeepers, etc.) face, ensuring I’m not confined to my own issues as a market gardener and seed grower. It also helps me grasp the position of the organic agriculture defense network (FNAB) within the agro-industrial complex. That position isn’t always clear—practicing organic farming doesn’t automatically mean one isn’t part of the industrial world and its associated logic: over-equipment, overproduction, over-indebtedness, and the drive for low prices to compete in ever more globalized markets.
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Our farm:
https://www.jardinsdevauvenise.fr/
We are part of La Semencerie, a collective of seven farms that produce seeds and sell them through this shared tool. My wife, Steph, started this collective, and I participate in it. For instance, the sale of absinthe by one of our colleagues supports a solidarity fund.
https://www.lasemencerie.fr/
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The Atelier Paysan: My strongest political engagement is with this cooperative, which for 15 years has pursued a clear political project: dismantling the agro-industrial complex. This complex includes large upstream and downstream companies (often the same entities) that control the entire food production system for humans and animals on the planet.
The Atelier Paysan promotes technological autonomy for farmers and operates with an ambitious but, in my opinion, essential goal. It sets itself apart from organic agriculture advocacy groups and agricultural unions with a conviction I share, which can be summed up as:
“The necessary social movement to radically transform our agriculture and food systems will emerge and grow through collective approaches—or it will not happen at all. The three key actors in such a movement are, in our view: the peasant farming movement, citizens’ movements, and historical farmers.”
(Excerpt from the book Reprendre la terre aux machines)
https://www.latelierpaysan.org/
https://www.seuil.com/ouvrage/reprendre-la-terre-aux-machines-l-atelier-paysan/9782021478174
Looking forward to reading, listening to, and seeing you here or elsewhere!
Wishing you a smooth transition to 2025!
Warm regards,
Seb
