The Coordination Rurale has lost a battle but remains combative!

4 REAL OPPONENTS The FDSEA - JA list, led by Sylvain Audemard, outgoing president of the Chambre d'Agriculture, president of the SAFER du Var, former president of the FDSEA du Var, but still active in the shadows, won these elections with a comfortable lead, giving it an absolute majority. Despite our result, we will only have 2 seats, just like the Confédération Paysanne, out of the 18 allocated to the farmers' college. This means only 4 real opponents out of 34 elected members, across all colleges.

The facts are there. The system is locked.

These two elected representatives will still give us, as during the last term, the right (and duty) to sit on almost all departmental bodies. Indeed, these two seats at the Chambre d'Agriculture open up, at least, access to a seat on the Commission départementale d'orientation agricole (CDOA), a seat on the Commission de préservation des espaces naturels, agricoles et forestiers (CDPNAF), a seat on the technical committee of the Société d'aménagement foncier et d'établissement rural (SAFER), and many other committees (game damage, PAC commission, assessor positions at joint rural lease courts, etc.). This is good.

But, this is under-representation compared to FDSEA and JA, which have more than double, or even triple, the number of representatives in the same bodies, not to mention the representation of their satellite unions (agricultural cooperation, etc.). In practice, the representation of the majority union is greater than its electoral weight.

The work we have done, with few resources, over the last six years in these bodies, and the results achieved, we did not publicise enough. HUMILITY AND DISCRETION Satisfied with having worked in the general interest, having defended all farmers fairly, and having honestly fulfilled our union duty, we did not deem it necessary to shout it from the rooftops. In fact, the Coordination Rurale du Var fell victim to its humility and discretion, even though its president is known for his outspokenness and strong words.

Without breaking anything, without bringing dozens of tractors into the streets, we acted and we moved forward. We will draw the consequences from this.

From now on, the Coordination Rurale du Var will make itself heard and we will rule nothing out. New people have decided to get involved and you will hear from them soon.

We will not forget viticulture. This major sector in the department, both in terms of area and from an economic standpoint in the agricultural landscape, did not vote for us much, we know.

Locked down by the majority union, this sector is starting to experience firsthand the crisis going through the wine world in general. Certain appellations or sectors (Les Coteaux Varois in particular) are more affected. But the major crisis lies ahead for everyone.

Some leaders of the Organismes de Défense et de Gestion (ODG) did not make the right decisions in a timely manner and, above all, made bad decisions. Limiting yields to 50 hectolitres per hectare with the obligation to produce Volumes Complémentaires Individuels (VCI) in Côtes de Provence, once the harvest had already started in 2023, is the perfect example.

BETRAYED WINEGROWERS We were the only union to denounce this absurdity! We called upon the Minister of Agriculture and we submitted a request to the president of the INAO. Under pressure from certain influential players in the department, our actions were thrown in the trash. Yet, we were right because this decision is illegal.

The winegrowers in Côtes de Provence have been betrayed by their representatives, but they are not aware of it. When reality breaks, the cold shower will be severe and many will catch a cold.

The Coordination Rurale du Var has lost a battle but it will quickly return to the fight by changing tactics and strategy.

See you very soon to continue the adventure.