« Europe must assume responsibility for producing and assume responsibility for exporting ”, according to Julien Denormandie. Former Minister of Agriculture argues that Europe must be ambitious both in its productivity and in protection, in a tense geopolitical context.
Read also: 2026 controversies | Julien Denormandie: “Europe must have a real vision of agricultural production and protection”
Reconciling competitiveness and environment
Beyond the competitiveness obtained by improving costs, Julien Denormandie develops the notion of competitiveness valuec’est-à -dire « taking into account the environment, climate change, protection of soil, water and air. » According to him, value should be created for players in the agricultural sectorfarmers and industrialists alike, who integrate these elements into their production.
We must have economic policies that support and social policies that take care of the most fragile
« We must also be transparent and clear about the fact that taking into account this competitive value, This means having to pay more for your foodhe specifies. Having a quality diet, nutritionally speaking or environmentally speaking, has a cost. We must accept it and therefore we must have economic policies that support and social policies that take care of the most fragile. »Â
Read also: 2026 controversies | Farmers facing global geopolitical turmoil:  Being technically good is no longer enough, you have to be a farm manager »Â
A priority on a national and European scale: the question of soil
The former minister, author of the work The Song of the Grounddenounces a déconsidération du sol even though it is a major issue for agriculture. He recalls that  60 à 70 % des sols européens sont dégradés » and that « ralthough in a tablespoon of soil there are more… living beings than there are humans on earth….Â
Just in a tablespoon of soil there are more living beings than there are humans on earth.
According to him, putting soils back at the heart of the debates would also allow “ to reconsider those who… take care of it, that is to say the farmers…»
