Sarkozy on Agriculture Paradox: Big Future Global Perspectives, Vital+Modern, but Unfair Competition

Set Facts Right, when some have ..turned the world "Upside Down", misleading Europe and the World with a huge "Paradox", claiming that Agriculture would be a so-called declining and backward sector, while, on the contrary, it's a Vital, Modern and Developing motor of EU's Economic Growth and Independence, with Fast Moving World-wide Perspectives in the foreseeable Future, if it's efficiently re-organized, was apparently French President Sarkozy's 1st aim when he accepted the invitation of Young Peasants' Associations to inaugurate the 2011 European Plowing Competition inside a brand New, huge Parc, full of Intelligent and Beautiful Artwork showing all aspects of Agricultural work, (from Flowers and Fruits or Cereals, Animals' raising, wines and various other Healthy Foods, but also precious Materials and Chemical substances for Industrial products, Energy, etc, as well as Agronomic Research, Human Health, Natural Landscape Designing, and Innovation, Industrial Motors, Robotics, etc).

All inside a well-made, Family-friendly, suberb and huge Natural Landscape at Strasbourg's "Green" outskirts, just a few Minutes from EU Parliament, CoE, ECHR, etc, shortly before Crucial forthcoming EU and/or G20 Decisions on various key aspects of that multi-dimensional matter.

In fact, Huge GeoPolitical Power issues, as never before in History, Economic and Technological, but also Social, Health  and Human interests are at stake in the Future of Agriculture, affecting People's independence and prosperity, to their Health and way of life, natural envirorment and traditional cultures, as well as Innovation and overall Performance, Competitiveness and Productivity, as it results also from Sarkozy's critical observations to Young Peasants at Strasbourg's outskirts, close to OberHausBergen's eye-catching Hill, (by a coincidence, precisely there where EU Parliament's former President, former Prime Minister of France and long time Mayor of Strasbourg, Pierre Pflimlin, had reportedly planned, initially, to build the "European Quarter", which would have hosted EU Parliament, CoE, ECHR, EU Mediator, EuroCorps, and other European and/or PanEuropean Institutionqs : See earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports on Pflimlin) :

 - Europe and the World are living a huge "Paradox", concerning Agriculture : Young Peasants are raising Questions on their Future, while, at the same time, the Need for Agricultural Products augments as never before in the History of Humankind. F.ex., towards 2050 the World is expected to Need + 70% more  Agricultural Products. And towards 2030 the Number of the Population in the World is due to rise for more than +30%..

=> All this naturally meaning that there are "Huge World-wide Perspectives" for Agricultural Production's development in the Future, contrary to those who claim that the number of Peasants should decline, critically observed  from the outset President Sarkozy :

- But Who will produce these bigger amounts of Food which will be needed in the foreseeable Future in the World (Comp. supra) : Only the USA, Brazil and Arzentina, with their huge areas of unused yet Land, or also us, i.e. France and Europe ?", he wondered, accompagnied by the experienced Miister of Agriculture, former EU Minister, Bruno Le Maire, and the President of Strasbourg's Region Alsace, Minister Philippe Richet, as well as several MEPs, including the President of the largest Group of MEPs in EU Parliament, Joseph Daul, a well-known specialist in Agricultural issues.

- Because EU is the 2nd Agricultural Power in the World, and France the 1st in Europe, so that we have a chance and a Responsibility to respond also to Global Needs, particularly when there are still People who starve to death and entire areas of the World suffering from hunger, Sarkozy pointed out.

+ F.ex. for France this is a Vital Issue, considering that Agriculture, together with Air-Space High Tech, are the two main sectors of our Economy which ensure a positive Surprlus in Foreign Trade, (i.e. avoid Deficit, and, therefore, reduce Debt, helping to Strengthen also the overall Financial situation of the country), he noted.

Statistical Data show that, f.ex. French Agriculture marked, indeed, very Strong Exports' Growth since 2006 and particularly on 2007 and 2008 (growing more than + 7,5% each Year !), as well as a very Positive Balance in External Trade Accounts (f.ex. + 8,9 % during the same years); before it was badly hit by the 2009 Global Economic Crisis imported from the USA. But even at the worst moment, it's one of the Rare Economic Sector which succeeded, nevertheless, to keep a Positive Balance in Foreign Trade Accounts, with +5,4%...

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 - That's why we (France and all the EU) must make adequate Changes, in order to succesfully face such big Challenges. And the Key of success for Agricultural Businesses is not Grants, but (Market) Prices : Peasants don't want to depend on Aides, but prefer to be free and able to count on their Productivity, Sarkozy stressed, largely applauded by a wide audience of Young Peasants and representatives of the Agricultural production.

=> In this regard, the most important matter is  to work in order to Strengthen our Competitiveness", he observed, obviously linking Agriculture together with all other EU Economy issues, that the Franco-German EU motor has recently decided to address, first of all, by focusing on the development of EU's Competitive capacity.

Thus, f.ex., Farmers who raise Animals, must not be obliged to sell at Prices below the level of Production Costs, he noted; while also promissing that the Government will help Producers of Fruits and Vegetables to reduce Social taxes, etc. At any case, we must develop adequate Policies in order to further ameliorate our Productivity, Sarkozy reiterated.  

But, despite recent efforts to augment the productivity, it still remains to solve obvious Problems of (Commercial) Distribution, which haven't been adequately tackled ....since the 2nd World War, so that Distribution Prices often are inadequate, the French President denounced on this occasion.

+ "EuroFora" was, indeed, surprised this Summer 2011, during short Holidays at nearby German "Black Forest" Mountains, to find out that even the Price of Milk in Germany was much Cheaper for Consummers than in France, despîte the fact that the greatest part of Milky products are fabricated by French Peasants and exported to Germany, as 2009 Statistics clearly indicate ... (See relevant Graphics).

=> Agricultural productors must come  Closer to their Clients. We must help create "Short Commercial Networks", f.ex. thanks to Cooperatives established by Agricultural Producers themselves, etc.We (the Government of France) are going to work in order to ameliorate Commercial Disctribution", he promissed.

- "'But, at the same time, we are asking you to advance on necessary ReStructuration" of Agro-Businesses, he urged.

+ Meanwhile, "for the 1st time, we succeeded to start raising the issue of the extreme Volatility of Agricultural Prices at the Global level of the "G 20" during the current 2011 French EU Chairmanship, reminded Sarkozy, obviously pointing at the February 2011 landmark G20 Economy and Finance Ministers' Summit in Paris, chaired by the then Minister, and now IMF's New President, Christine Lagarde (See Lagarde's relevant Replies to "EuroFora"'s questions at the concluding Press Conference), as well as to a subsequent Meeting of G20's Ministers of Agriculture, organized on June 2011 by Bruno  Le Maire, with interesting results.

- If some among the Agricultural Products' prices (fabricated and sold also by France and/or other EU Countries) might, sometimes, become Higher in Global Markets, "this doesn't mean hat it (these Prices) will not Fall Down anew, and with a similar Brutality and Speed, as when they suddenly went upwards", Sarkozy warned.

=> In general, nobody can invest in production without knowing the Price in which he's going to sell afterwards, stressed the French President, in order to illustrate that "it's much better for all if there are No more abrupt Volatility U-turns Agricultural Prices.

 - "I said that to the President of Argentina, earlier this week in Paris, and I'll have another opportunity to anew say so also to the Brazilian President, when she's due to come, next week, in Paris, Sarkozy revealed, speakig of two countries among those few who still have some Objections against G 20 action to face Prices' extreme volatility, (Comp.  "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the landmark 2/2011 G20 Ministeral Summit).

- "If, f.ex., Speculators raise a Price up to + 18% more than its normal, stable price of 100 €uros, in order to sell it afterwards, then, Markets become victims of Manipulation by Speculation. F.ex. Cacao's price has changed recently up to 20% away from its normal, stable price, making it obvious that there is a Need for Regulation, he noted.
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+ Moreover, we are in favor of a Fair Competition, but against Dumping", he went on to stress.

F.ex., the EU must not accept products which totaly ignore the European (Sanitary) Rules on the Traceability, (f.ex. of Meat, Dairy, etc), the French President denounced, largely applauded, given that EU Prodiucers are, on the contrary obliged to respect strict procedures and rules revealing the origins of their products, (for Health protection issues).

- "Freedom of Trade is and must be respected, but on the condition that the Competition is Fair", Sarkozy stressed, as a matter of Principle. And "there are no Markets without Rules. It's precisely because there is Freedom, that Regulation is needed, he underlined.

 ++ As for EU's CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), Sarkozy observed that it was achieved to ensure its general Budget for the forthcoming period of 2013-2020, and that some Debates which emerged on the distribution of Aides, were due simply to the fact that it was "Just" to "Help more" f.ex. the small Agricultural businesses of Mountainous Areas, which must work harder than "Big" Exploitations at the Plains, as he noted, even if that might have been misunderstood by some.

- "We transferred about 1 Billion €uros, and we saved Agriculture in Mountainous areas, because it was Just", Sarkozy stressed. "If something isn't just, you cannot support it", he pointed out.

- We all need to be credible when we speak out in order to support EU's CAP. Those who promiss you to get much more (EU) Grants, (a probabley critical hint to some Socialist Party's politicians recent claims), are either ignoring realtiies or behaving irresponsibly, inter alia also because it's not at all obvious today to find "new ressources", (i.e. in the context of exceptional Economies and growing call to "freeze" EU for some Years, in order to Reduce Debts because of the General Financial Crisis).
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Nevertheless, today, "there is no other profession to be so Young as yours", Sarkozy, realistically but enthousiastically said in conclusion to the Young Peasants who were pressing around to hear his speech on Agriculture's Future (comp. Supra), hailing also their "Dynamism"; as it was shown even by the Spectacular and Original Collective Event that they had took the initiative to create in such a huge area at Strasbourg's outskirts.

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Finally, Sarkozy awarded the 1st Prizes for "Innovations in Agronomics and Trade", as well as a Special Jury's Prize to selected Young Peasants in smiles, before climbing fast to cars waiting to bring to Paris for a subsequent Diplomatic meeting an hyperactive French President, who had just arrived from a triomphal tour in Libya, yesterday, together with British Prime Minister Cameron, invited by NTC's Head Abdel Jalil and Prime Minister Jibril to meet with Libyan People the same Day that EU Parliament voted in Strasbourg a comprehensive Resolution on Libya (See yesterday's "EuroFora"s NewsReport) just Hours before UNO decides on NTC's International Recognition, progressive Unfreeze of Assets and the Beginning of a UNO Mission for Reconstruction and Security on the spot, so late that he didn't even have enough time to sleep, before he found himself surrounded anew by thousands of People during a particularly "Hot" Day here, as he observed.....

 

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    The New, Forward looking 2011 Strasbourg event, organized by the movement of Young Peasants on the base of an Original idea named "Lands, Up side Down" ("Terres à l'envers"), artfully picturing the Potential of Agricultural Work both in Food and Industry (from Bio-Energies or Industrialized tools, such as Big Tractors, Robotics, etc, up to every-day used Industrial products such as ...Toothpaste, which includes Amidon from Mais, etc), as well as Human Health, Childrens' Education, but also Natural Landscape-designing and Culture, pictured in Superb, beautiful and Intelligent, thematic Gardens spreading along Strasbourg's outer Hills with a refreshing Wind and eye-catching views to Vosges and Black Forerst Mountains, etc., was associated with a 30 Years old European tradition :

    - The European and National Plowing contest finals, with the participation of 12 EU Delegations, including from France, Germany, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, etc, are in their 28th edition, 30 Years after they started for the First time, back on 1981, (i.e., by a coincidence, almost at the beginning of EU Parliament's elected era in Strasbourg : 1979).
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+ By the way, a topically interesting, but nowadays rare example of direct, close links between Real Production and the world of Banks and Finance, is the popular President of Agricultural Credit Bank, Sander, whose family is still working at the Fields, including his own Son, chair of Strasbourg region's Lower Rhine's Young Peasants :  Sander was speaking, together with the Chairman of the biggest Political Group in EU Parliament, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul, in a widely attended Debate on "European Market Strategies for Agriculture", in front of the Press Center, shortly after President Sakozy's speech.

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Meanwhile, some have already started to think that it would be a nice and practical idea to create a kind of Permanent, smart and well-made "European Agricultural Parc", (including also Scientific Research on Agronomy, Health, Landscape designing, etc., as well as on related modern Industrial Products, f.ex. huge Tractors, Robotisation, etc), open to EU Citizens and EU Debates, in such a beautiful Natural Landscape, so close to the most Popular EU Institutions...