French Senate Begins Debate on Long-Awaited Agricultural Reform Bill

The proposed legislation seeks to bolster food sovereignty, address generational renewal, and streamline agricultural policies, but faces criticism over environmental compromises.

The French Senate has started reviewing the Agricultural Orientation Bill, which has been delayed for nearly a year due to political disruptions, including a parliamentary dissolution.
The bill aims to elevate agriculture to a 'major national interest,' with a focus on food sovereignty and the renewal of farming generations over the next decade.
Key measures include the introduction of a 'Bachelor Agro' degree, a voluntary agricultural program, and a single-point departmental office to simplify farm transfers and installations.
Critics, particularly from the left, argue the bill prioritizes intensive farming and food production over environmental protections, with provisions to ease penalties for unintentional environmental damage.
The legislation is expected to pass due to support from the Senate's right-centrist majority, though debates over controversial provisions like the 'non-regression' principle for food sovereignty continue.