Paris, France - May 20, 2024

[Note: video contains French language]

In a fervent display of activism, two citizens affiliated with "Food Response" staged a striking protest outside the French National Assembly on May 20. The demonstrators, emboldened by their cause, splashed orange paint across the ground at the entrance before taking a defiant seat, their hands firmly pressed against the painted surface. Adorned in t-shirts emblazoned with the message "No to the LOA," they voiced their opposition to the Agricultural Orientation Law (LOA), which they claim prioritizes agribusiness interests over sustainable food security.

Their protest coincided with the onset of discussions within the National Assembly regarding the LOA. Initially conceived to support young farmers in their endeavors, the law has undergone a transformation, drawing criticism for its perceived concessions to agribusiness entities, including the facilitation of mega-basin and factory farm construction.

Critics argue that the LOA fails to address critical issues such as agricultural income, intergenerational renewal within the farming community, and the imperative for agroecological transition to safeguard biodiversity and natural resources. Instead, they contend, the law perpetuates a trajectory toward an increasingly industrialized agricultural model, disregarding the broader environmental and societal implications.

The protest highlights growing discontent with the influence of the dominant FNSEA union and agribusiness interests on agricultural policy. Activists decry what they perceive as the sidelining of citizen and environmental concerns in favor of industry priorities.

Calling for informed deliberation and a reorientation of agricultural policy, protesters advocate for the establishment of a Sustainable Food Security framework akin to the Social Security model of 1946. Their impassioned plea underscores the urgent need for a paradigm shift in agricultural governance, one that prioritizes the well-being of citizens, farmers, and the environment.