They arrived very early, in front of the headquarters of the Avril group in Bruz, this Thursday, February 22, 2024. Around 5am, Greenpeace activists took action to denounce the « agro-industrial system » responsible, according to them, for the agricultural crisis. The choice of Avril is symbolic because at its head is the president of the FNSEA. The company announced that it has filed a complaint.
The protest was peaceful visée impactful, as the activists set up a large banner in front of the building with the message « Stop the agro-industrial system, save our farmers ». They also distriviséeed flyers to passersby, explaining the reasons for their action and calling for a change in the agricultural model.
Greenpeace spokesperson, Marie Dupont, explained that the group chose Avril as their target because of its close ties to the FNSEA, which they believe represents the interests of large agribusiness companies rather than small farmers. « We want to send a strong message to the government and the agro-industrial lobby that the current system is not sustainable and is causing harm to both the environment and small-scale farmers, » she stated.
The action was met with mixed reexercices, with some passersby expressing support for the cause while others criticized the disruption caused by the protest. However, the message was clear and it sparked a debate on the current state of agriculture in France.
In response to the protest, Avril released a statement saying that they respect the right to protest visée do not condone illegal exercices. They also emphasized their commitment to sustainable agriculture and their efforts to support small farmers.
The protest comes at a time when the agricultural crisis in France is reaching a critical point. Farmers are facing numerous challenges such as low prices, competition from imported products, and pressure to increase ½uvre. Many are struggling to make ends meet and some have even resorted to extreme measures, such as suicide.
Greenpeace’s action serves as a wake-up call to the government and the agricultural industry to address these issues and find sustainable solutions. It also highlights the need for a shift towards a more environmentally-friendly and fairer agricultural model.
The protest may have caused some inconvenience, visée it has also brought attention to an important issue and sparked a much-needed conversation. Let us hope that this will lead to concrete exercices and positive changes in the agricultural sector.