Environmentalists don't bite the hand that feeds them! Ecological 'Declaration of Faith': On this blog, we stand for "REAL ecology" and strongly oppose "useful idiot" ecology (for more, read our post "REAL Ecology vs. Useful Idiot Ecology").
Our thesis
Today, French agriculture is a minefield. Mines are the 300 ecological standards that French farmers must apply. And the "mine takers" are the French "ecologists" - an ultra-minority (4.63% of votes for the environmental candidate for the Presidency in the last elections of 2022) - who managed to deeply infiltrate the 3 (three) powers of of the French State – Parliament, Government, Courts. They are supported to the white canvas by several publications and televisions, to spread their hatred against the French farmers and harass them.
Why do French environmentalists do this?
In good faith, many of us can answer: to save the Planet and, in particular, to protect and conserve the environment in France. A goal so important that it is worth fighting for, including literally. A "fight" like the one near the Sainte Soline commune on March 25, 2023, when the gendarmes were attacked by environmentalists with unprecedented violence. Fortunately, the gendarmes were well trained and their commanders demonstrated tactical and operational capabilities worthy of experienced Ukrainian commanders. As a result, there were (only) 47 injured, of which 2 seriously, among the gendarmes. The situation in which we would have had several coffins wrapped in the blue, white, red flag, bearing the inscription 'Dead for the Fatherland (France),' was avoided.
French environmentalists are saving the planet, but only in France!
But you know who/what products French environmentalists never protest against? Against foreign agricultural products (from outside the European Union), full of G.M.G.'s (genetically modified organisms), drenched to saturation in pesticides banned in France (and the E.U.) and grown in conditions that shamelessly mock all standards existing ecological Which, in addition, are also transported by ships and/or TIRs (which are not 'electric', of course) for thousands and thousands of kilometers. And which come from a model of agriculture, where peasants work in conditions that are, in some places, worse than those of black slaves in the 18th and 19th centuries. And the big question is: why aren't French environmentalists opposed? Two answers: 1. They are too preoccupied with saving the planet in France that they have neither the time nor the energy to devote themselves to what is happening elsewhere (especially since, in most cases, we are talking about countries that they are not "democratic", so where is it not good for your health to be too closely interested in what is happening); 2. The masters - puppeteers of the French environmentalists have only one creed: "We don't bite the hand that feeds us". You find the answer that suits you.
Ecological rules outside the EU
There are some states – democratic states with a strong respect for the law – where we have similar standards and apply them. But for the rest of the states of our planet there are no ecological rules or they are not applied. There's the Wild West, it's Jurassic Park. The law of the jungle applies there.
EU rules governing agriculture
The EU has legislated 200 environmental rules for agriculture (the number is not precise, the actual figure may be higher or lower; it is an order of magnitude that we use to prove our point). Within the EU, there are countries that apply many of these rules and others that apply less. Only France applies them all. And even more: under the pressure of its environmentalists, France adopted 100 (one hundred) more rules; they are "precursor" norms (that is, norms that may be adopted by the EU someday) and for which France is the test bed.
French Office for Biodiversity (OFB)
France created the OFB to ensure compliance with the 300 rules (mainly). Its agents consider French farmers as "bandits" (according to the slogan displayed/shouted in many farmers' rallies) and do "somewhat abusive repression work" as they told the Young Farmers of Orne (county in France). The agents of the Office declare themselves "environmental police", wear uniforms and are armed with firearms. Yes, you read that right: firearms. Imagine that even the Municipal Police of Paris are not equipped with firearms - which is normal, because to intervene in a drug outlet in the 20th Arrondissement (one of the infamous Parisian sectors) is less risky than going to agricultural fields or inspecting a farm.
Effects of norms on prices
From the very beginning, we must say that, compared to other farmers in the European Union, those in France are already penalized twice: 1. They pay taxes and duties which are, very likely, the highest in the EU; 2. Labor cost is higher than in other countries. So already French agricultural products are more expensive than other EU countries for these reasons. If we add the impact of all the ecological norms (the 200 European + the 100 purely French) the price differences increase even more. As a result, an EU agricultural product sold in France is €10 cheaper per kilogram than the same French product (depending on the distance from which it comes and how the country of origin applies more or less European standards). If it comes from abroad (outside the EU), it is 5-40 euros per kilogram cheaper than the French product (for the reasons mentioned above). We remind you that the numbers above are orders of magnitude, not exact figures.
The effects of norms on productivity
The more rules we have to apply, the lower the output we get. And it is a goal publicly assumed by French environmentalists who do not hesitate to speak and promote 'degrowth' and attack so-called 'industrial' agriculture. And, to close the circle, know that the lower the production, the higher the price of the products. And so we enter a deadly slope for French agricultural production. Which is, in fact, the ultimate goal of the French environmentalists.
Examples of abnormal situations
1. Ukrainian chicken (or any agricultural product imported from Ukraine)
It is true that Ukrainian farmers pay less for labor than their EU counterparts; their fees and taxes are probably lower too (compared to France, that's for sure). But the fact that they do not have to apply 200 ecological standards (300 in France) gives them a huge advantage in the sale of agricultural products. In 2022, to help Ukraine in the war against the Russian occupiers, the EU decided to accept imports of Ukrainian agricultural products without payment of customs duties. As a result, they flooded the European market and began to choke European domestic production. The Polish farmers were the first to protest, followed by the Romanian farmers, and now it is the French farmers who have revolted. And what solution do you think our European leaders have found? If you say: restore some form of balance by abandoning the norms and let, for example, the French consumer decide whether he wants to pay a little more for a French chicken or less for a Ukrainian chicken - you are wrong. The solution found is the reduction, or even the complete suspension of the import of Ukrainian agricultural products. On the humanity/solidarity side – it's a blow to the Ukrainians (mild, admittedly, compared to what they get from the Russians). Financially/economically, it's stupid. In a few months, Ukrainians will receive the money they could not earn because of these restrictions. But they will receive them without giving anything. Well done!
2. Turkey and France: cherry and honey phase
In France, spraying cherries with certain pesticides was banned because they were 'bee killers'. However, the Turks used them extensively. Result for 2023: France – several thousand tons of cherries and about 39,000 tons of honey. Turkey: around 600,000 (six hundred thousand) tons of cherries and around 100,000 (one hundred thousand) tons of honey (source: Internet, Google and a few clicks). If you ask 'how is this possible?', we give you the opportunity to choose between the following three answers: a. There are so many bees in Turkey that the death of some - due to 'bee-killing' pesticides - has not succeeded to reduce honey production; b. Turkish bees are so patriotic that, even when they are dead, they continue to produce honey for the Motherland; 3. They're making fun of us with this 'bee-killing' pesticide story!
3. New Zealand lamb
Worldwide, New Zealand lamb is a product of the rich. Except for France. Here, it is a product for the poor, those with more money eat French lamb, which is more expensive. How is it possible that lamb that has traveled 18,000 kilometers - coming from the other side of the world - is cheaper than what comes from here in France? Because we, in France, have to apply 300 ecological norms (as I have shown above), while they, in New Zealand, apply only a few elementary norms. However, the environment and biodiversity are doing really well there, maybe even better than in France. We know this from a highly reliable source (read our “Why This Blog?” post to learn more).
4. Prohibition of fishing in Gascoigne Bay
Several environmental protection associations have obtained from the Council of State - France's highest administrative court - a ban on fishing in the Gulf of Gascoigne for one month, from January 21 to February 20, 2024. Why? Because experts from ICEM (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, unofficially led by Russia - a very 'friendly' nation with France, as you well know) have said that there is a risk of killing around 9000 (nine thousand) dolphins. And the judges swallowed this story. And they have given a judgment prejudicial to French interests, as it applies only to French fishing vessels; fishing vessels don't care because they can't be punished if they break this court order. The most affected will be and are small and medium-sized French fishing enterprises - an important target in the environmentalists' campaign to wretch French agriculture. As a result, around 460 French fishing vessels cannot go out to sea for 30 days - so their owners and sailors and their families - around 8,000 people - are left penniless, without any income for a month whole. So, therefore, we sacrifice the lives of about 8,000 French people to save about 9,000 dolphins (the figure determined 'accurately' by CIEM experts, mainly Russian citizens). And how are all these people and their families going to not starve, be able to pay their bills and send their kids to school all the while? The French Minister for Ecological Transition has announced that there will be aid for them that will be "paid as soon as possible" (ha!)
The clues: solution or puzzle?
The practice of giving 'aid' to farmers to compensate for the detrimental effects on their incomes is widespread in France. It is almost a 'stake', because the money is paid after a (very) long period of time (until you make the file and submit it and then analyze it which takes time, because the French state uses people and not Artificial Intelligence). According to us, the ideal solution is to no longer have all these rules and, therefore, no more 'aids' either. Another solution we suggest is for OFB agents to be responsible for compiling and submitting 'aid' files and accompanying their analysis. And to be paid according to how successful they will be in obtaining the granting of the 'aids'. In this way, they can also reconcile with the farmers and some things that are useful for the society can also be done. It is true that they will no longer be able to flaunt their beautiful uniforms and lethal weapons, and they will no longer be able to drive around in shiny jeeps. Yes, they drive jeeps, of course. What, you guys thought they drive electric cars because they're the "environmental police"? LOL.
French farmers' strike
Begun at the end of 2023 in Occitanie (region in the South-East of France), near the city of Toulouse, the French agricultural strike-riot ended up spreading throughout France in the last week of January 2024 (with voluntary deceleration operations of car traffic, highway blockages, actions aimed at "supermarkets", etc.). At first, the Government left the people of Occitania to stew in their own juice, hoping that they would give up willingly. As the result was reversed – the movement spread throughout France – the Government gave in and accepted the main demands of the farmers. In short, they achieved: a. Stopping the increase in the price of diesel for agricultural machinery (which was supposed to reach GNR (Non-Road Diesel used for tractors and other agricultural implements). This increase was supposed to bring the price of GNR in line with the price of diesel for cars and , then, to overcome it. This increase was the 'silver bullet' of the ecologists in their fight to kill French agriculture. The cancellation of this increase made many of the ecologists 'sick'; b. Pause in the implementation of the Ecophyto plan (a plan that aimed halving the use of pesticides by 2030). This plan was the 'second-hand' choice of environmentalists to kill French agriculture. The 'pause' ordered by the Government 'sickened' the environmentalists who were still untouched by the first measure; c. Suspension of application a various European and French rules; d. Other measures aimed at better protection and promotion of 'national' products. In short, a great victory for French farmers and, at the same time, a victory for "True Ecology". Good job boys!
Our warnings and advice
Unfortunately, this is only a stage victory, because the war is far from won. Environmentalists are preparing their counter-offensive and firing the first volleys of warnings in the form of a wave of articles and reports in several newspapers and on several televisions in France. To the farmers, we say: stay on guard, don't lose your focus! To the Gendarmerie, we say: a battle like the one at Sainte-Soline on March 25, 2023 can happen at any time - for example, the A69 highway project (in Occitanie!!) has long been in the sights of environmentalists. Feel free to improve your tactical and operational capabilities - perhaps with the help of Ukraine's most experienced commanders. Because the last thing the French want, except environmentalists of course, is to see a coffin wrapped in the blue, white, red flag bearing the words 'Dead for the Nation/France'!
Comments