"Agriculture without pesticides is possible"

With a type of lightness in tone however an actual technical rigor, he evokes totally different agronomic fashions and particularly tropical to point out that agriculture with out pesticides is feasible. Additionally a promoter of pure wine, he’s in good concord along with his publishing home Nouriturfu, co-organizer with Rue89Lyon of the honest Under the paving stones, vines.

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Assembly with this agronomist dedicated to more healthy agriculture, making an allowance for peasant difficulties.

Rue89Lyon: In your e-book, you outline the present farming system as "agriculture primarily based on dying", what do you imply by that? What’s your imaginative and prescient for agriculture right now?

Cedric Rabany : A lot progress was made after the conflict with the usage of chemistry. We invented an entire bunch of molecules to kill bugs. It’s definitely fascinating to handle illnesses or populations of bugs, but it surely has turn into a reflex. Any plant well being drawback in agriculture is handled this fashion. Nonetheless, after we observe, we notice that the means to manage the populations within the ecosystems are way more advanced.

To work in agriculture primarily based on the mechanisms of life is to be impressed by the way in which ecosystems are regulated with a purpose to apply it to agriculture. We keep in mind the complexity. We’re going to work on inhabitants balances moderately than eliminating it in any respect prices.

The instance I soak up my e-book is that of the slug. Within the truffle tradition, we wished to do away with the slug as a result of it ate items of truffles. By how the mushrooms that produce the truffle reproduce, we notice that the intervention of the slug is important within the cycle. I feel this can be a good instance to point out how an ecosystem works.

Molecules able to killing, there are a lot of in nature. Nonetheless, they haven’t turn into generalized. While you observe a forest, it’s not as a result of a plant is able to producing an insecticide or one thing very violent that it’s going to essentially develop towards others. It’s a part of an ecosystem. Drawing inspiration from these ecosystems and making use of it to agriculture is what I name living-based agriculture.

"Agriculture primarily based on dwelling organisms", is that how you’ll outline agroecology?

Agroecology relies on these primary rules. To do agroecology, we went to get the learnings that come from ecology, the science that research ecosystems.

The instance of forests may be very fascinating. While you take a look at probably the most lush forests on the earth, these should not essentially in an space the place the soil may be very wealthy. Typically you’ve, in Brazil, Australia, Africa, forests which have grown on very poor soil. They’ve developed because of the numerous interactions that exist between crops. On the aerial half and within the basement but in addition by the interplay with fungi, with microbes, with bugs.

This advanced combination will make it potential to create a really wealthy ecosystem on one thing which in the beginning is sort of poor. It’s this skill to create wealth that may be very inspiring for agriculture.

"To work agriculture primarily based on the mechanisms of life, it’s to be impressed by the way in which ecosystems are regulated to use it to agriculture"

Can we be impressed in France by fashions developed elsewhere though the topographies and climates are clearly totally different from one nation and area to a different?

We essentially have totally different circumstances however the fundamental guidelines are the identical. Take the alpine lawns. We’re nicely conscious of those pastures which permit reblochon. These lawns develop on ecosystems which might be very fragile, on soils which might be very poor. These are stony soils and there are excessive circumstances. While you take a look at these lawns, you notice that they’re very multicolored.

It's stuffed with interactions between crops that create favorable circumstances for one another to have the ability to develop in very troublesome environments.

Regardless of the surroundings, it’s potential to replicate on agricultural manufacturing by optimizing combos of crops, the usage of microbes, dwelling issues within the soil. It’s wonderful what’s occurring with the worms, with the mushrooms. There are even crustaceans within the floor! The entire animal and plant kingdom is blended.

Nonetheless, these observations have been used little or no till right now. Throughout the foundations of natural farming within the 1960s, the primary instinct was that the soil was the premise of manufacturing. First, the soil needed to be nourished in order that the soil may nourish the crops. Now it's an angle of assault that goes past natural farming. There are many actions of farmers, of researchers who’re eager about restoring the fertile capacities to the soil by utilizing life moderately than the infusions of chemical fertilizers

What’s the situation of the soil right now? Particularly within the Lyon area, what’s the scenario of this agricultural basin?

What I can say is that in Rhône-Alpes, total, we’re on a diversified agriculture. We now have livestock, we’ve got arboriculture, we’ve got vines. It's already good.

Within the area, we will additionally communicate of Beaujolais. While you stroll within the vineyards, should you see soils the place there isn’t any grass, the place there’s solely pebble, it’s that these are soils which have misplaced their skill to nourish Vine. The vine is weakened after which it have to be fed, protected and even overprotected.

Conversely, you’ll observe vines with grass, vines that may seem soiled or deserted, and which in truth are very alive. When you dig into the earth, you’ll notice that there’s humus. The earth might be black, there are bugs. This creates all different circumstances for producing wine.

After I was finding out agronomy, we did somewhat subject work in Beaujolais. It was the start of the grass benches, that’s to say, we left grass each two rows. On the time, it was the chopping fringe of innovation. Immediately, there are wine growers who’re superb at producing 100% grass. The vine is superb, the grapes are of high quality, they make nice wines. In fifteen years, we’ve got gone from a system the place we completely needed to weed. It killed the bottom. Immediately, thegrassing has turn into one thing fairly developed within the trade, even for winemakers who should not essentially natural or eager about it.

However how is that this transition from intensive farming to ecological farming truly potential? Do you envision that it may be troublesome for farmers, that they should rent extra individuals, that they anticipate to be much less worthwhile? the right way to reply their financial questions? Many are employees after which poor retirees…

Right here, we face each an financial dimension and a technical dimension.

From a technical viewpoint, if we take a look at the yields of chemical farming right now, they stagnate. It’s an agriculture that isn’t progressing any extra. It suffices to take a look at the statistics of corn and wheat yields in France because the 1990s. Throughout this identical interval, phyto merchandise have elevated. We’re on a system that prices increasingly to keep up yields. Particularly because it makes use of mineral assets and all fertilizers are assets, immediately linked to petroleum.

So we’re utilizing increasingly mineral assets, increasingly phytosanitary assets, whereas we’ve got had the identical yields because the finish of the 90s. So this can be a mannequin that has reached its limits and we’ve got to assume the subsequent mannequin.

"We’re utilizing increasingly mineral assets, increasingly phytosanitary assets, whereas we’ve got had the identical yields because the finish of the 1990s"

Why is natural farming an fascinating avenue? Whereas yields are decrease, we’ve got not but explored all of the rules that make up agroecology. The yield potentials of those farms are a lot higher. Immediately, the challenges of agricultural analysis are to consider catching up with the yields of standard agriculture by finding out the rules of agroecology. The potential positive factors are a lot higher with respect to natural farming.

We should cease saying that there’s one agriculture that doesn’t produce and the opposite that produces loads. There’s a mannequin which produces loads however which struggles and which can’t improve any extra and the opposite which is somewhat under however which has vital progress positive factors. If we mission, we’ll wager extra on positive factors than on a mannequin that’s already out of breath.

From an financial viewpoint, there’s certainly this query of the workforce. In natural farming, weeding by hand requires much more work, or in any case, appropriate tools. Within the e-book, I'm speaking a couple of producer cooperative known as The peasants' workshop. This cooperative is considering making tillage machines, tractors which might be appropriate for natural farming and medium-sized farms. All of the agricultural equipment has been designed for gigantism, there are only a few technical options on small farms. These individuals need to develop technical options on these scales.

"We should cease saying that there’s one agriculture that doesn’t produce and the opposite that produces loads"

The financial concern is essential. Everybody desires this transition. Everybody desires to alter the agricultural mannequin and have a constructive influence on the local weather, biodiversity and soil upkeep. In some unspecified time in the future, all of this must be paid for. The function of the buyer, the function of public insurance policies to help this alteration in farmers' practices are obligatory. As a result of certainly, they’re the primary involved. They’re usually the poorest in French society and subsequently have to be supported.

It have to be stated that there are technical options, which have a value, and which require help. And the hazard right now is that natural farming is changing into an enormous market. There’s subsequently the strain of enormous distribution on costs, it’s obligatory to provide. There’s additionally the danger of importing merchandise, which places competitors again on French farmers. This alteration is technically potential. However behind it is a matter of public and financial help.

The Courtroom of Auditors has printed the steadiness sheet of ten years of presidency motion to get French agriculture out of its dependence on pesticides. It’s 400 million euros that would have been committed per year, three plans have been put in place, the aims have been reviewed and but, the usage of pesticides would have elevated by 12% between 2009 and 2016. How do you clarify the failure of those Ecophyto plans?

I simply defer to Court of Auditors report which is extraordinarily fascinating. He does say it’s a failure. At one level, he explains that the change in practices is gradual. That is additionally what I clarify within the e-book, agriculture is a gradual evolution. Agricultural programs have developed. Since people began farming, the modifications have all the time been gradual. Immediately, improvements exist. We simply must help this gradual diffusion of improvements.

The phyto plan is a failure on a world scale but it surely has additionally made it potential to finance a analysis program which has mobilized a number of institutes. three,000 farms have been monitored on French territory, DEPHY farms. They’re farms of all potential and possible cultures. On these farms, there are actual reductions in the usage of phyto, particularly in viticulture or arboriculture that are nonetheless very consuming phyto. There are decreases of 40 to 50%. Once more, technically it’s potential. Now to do it on a big scale, it’s help, it’s technical help for farmers. And there, communities may also have an effect.

"Immediately, improvements exist. We simply must help this gradual diffusion of improvements ”

I take the instance within the e-book of communities or geographical indication territories. It’s a highly effective sufficient instrument to provide values, frequent guidelines. For instance, there are heritage winegrowers in Corsica who’ve banned the usage of herbicides all through the appellation. We make choices, we focus on them amongst farmers and we attempt to help a transition on the size of a territory.

Will the transition to natural farming comply with this bottom-up sample, ranging from the native after which spreading to a nationwide stage?

I feel each are obligatory. In Germany, there are a lot of communities which accompanied the conversion of a complete territory into natural farming for the safety of water from catchment. It’s the safety of ingesting water on a watershed which inspires accompanying farmers in direction of a change in practices.

There is identical form of pondering, with out the transition to natural farming, at Véolia in France. On water assets administration, they may also work with farmers on the size of a watershed, for instance.

There’s subsequently a necessity for communication in any respect ranges, inside the agricultural sector but in addition exterior.

All the time. We are able to't escape it to get out of the clichés.

"Natural farming is just not grandparent farming"

I wished to make this fashionable e-book to attempt to give small scientific keys, to take a step again from the debates. Natural farming is just not the farming of grandparents. It’s a mannequin that integrates plenty of new scientific information into the way in which we produce agriculture. It displays on the well being of agrosystems within the broad sense. It’s moderately the mode of manufacturing of the longer term than a mode of manufacturing of our grandparents.

There’s additionally this must maintain communication open with the agricultural world. We’re societies utterly disconnected from the agricultural world. It’s essential to open this dialogue.

That’s why I usually speak about wine. It’s a sturdy cultural product. There’s an explosion of wine festivals. They’re very talked-about and there’s an alternate between the buyer and the winegrower. For me, this can be a good instance and we also needs to be capable of have this alternate with different cultures. The AMAP go on this route. We try to open up a dialogue, to not ostracize the farmers. As I stated at the start of the e-book, it’s extraordinary that in Europe barely three% of the inhabitants feeds the entire. Let's pay attention to that.

“We’re societies utterly disconnected from the agricultural world. It’s essential to open this dialogue "

The agro-food trade and intensive agriculture defend themselves by claiming to have responded to the nice problem of feeding all the inhabitants on the planet: this problem stays unresolved, can agroecology take over?

Agroecology is a reasonably broad idea that may enable sure very low doses of pesticides.

I take the instance of the soil. There are methods in agroecology, in agriculture the place one plows little or no, even one eliminates plowing. We mix crops in time and area to revitalize the entire soil. Solely at sure occasions, there could also be a necessity to use a herbicide shot as a result of by dint of placing biomass, it should nonetheless be eradicated.

So that you’re not completely towards pesticides in agriculture?

These sorts of practices are very useful in some ways, however sooner or later they may use somewhat herbicide.

I’m neither for nor towards, I’m a practitioner. I’m eager about how one can produce agriculture. I’m essentially very connected to natural farming as a result of for me, it’s she who creates a hyper fertile body of thought. We are going to all the time consider alternate options. If we’ve got an assault, we must handle a inhabitants of bugs. We must convey again bugs that would be the predators of those bugs. We must put these crops to draw these bugs. We are going to all the time take into consideration very advanced issues.

Developments are gradual however already, it appears to me obligatory to maneuver in direction of programs which use much less pesticides. Sure, we will feed humanity. It’s stated that with out pesticides, there might be to have nice illnesses, we're all going to die. It's stated to be pesticide-free panic in East Africa due to locusts. Whereas it’s a climatic phenomenon and never pesticide administration.

"Developments are gradual however already, it appears to me obligatory to maneuver in direction of programs which use much less pesticides"

What have been the most important meals crises? They have been both climatic or political. Plant illnesses have not often been an issue. I appeared in historical past. The 2 main illnesses which have marked Europe are mildew on the potato in Eire and phylloxera on the vine.

Mildew on potatoes in Eire was definitely mildew but it surely was additionally political. This agronomic system made no sense. A monoculture system on an island, a illness, all of the tradition is eradicated and it’s a nice famine.

For phylloxera which just about made the vine disappear, the answer was not invented by chemistry. We went to America for rootstocks. Vines which used to stay with bugs which transmit phylloxera and subsequently which have been naturally resistant. We discovered the answer within the dwelling. We didn't discover her in dying. The good phenomena and famines linked to illnesses, should you scratch them, you notice that it’s not chemistry that has solved them.

"The good phenomena and famines linked to illnesses, if we glance somewhat, we notice that it’s not the chemistry that solved them"

But agriculture will face increasingly crises attributable to local weather change.

The problem for agriculture is to have the ability to soak up the shocks linked to this alteration. To permit crops to soak up shocks, there is a gigantic curiosity in enhancing ecosystems. How will crops be capable of be resilient to shock? Primarily because of the soil. Including natural matter is one technique to enable crops to be extra proof against local weather change. It isn’t with chemistry that we’ll save them, it’s as a result of the soil might be alive.

The identical goes for agroforestry. All of the pondering across the reintroduction of timber additionally goes by means of this. The Chinese language have replanted hundreds and hundreds of hectares of timber for resilience to international warming. They planted them on Watershed to handle their water useful resource. Chemistry won’t ever enable the soil to soak up shock. Simply see the vines and even cereals in case of warmth stroke.

"Including natural matter is a technique to enable crops to be extra proof against local weather change"

I work in Sahelian areas in Africa. Mils or sorghum who’re on dwelling soil, with natural matter, when there’s a warmth stroke, they handle to go the durations of drought. African farmers not often use chemical fertilizers. They know that their primary limiting issue is water. If there’s chemical fertilizer and there’s ten days of drought behind, the fertilizer might be ineffective. They must spend cash for nothing. They moderately have an curiosity in placing in natural matter, manure, making crop associations to get by means of these dry occasions.

Tropical agriculture that I do know nicely is subsequently very fascinating to assist us take into consideration how we soak up local weather shocks. The difficulty is just not so sanitary. The problem is the ecosystem and its skill to face up to shocks.

You have been speaking about agroforestry, are you able to keep in mind the rules?

Principally, it’s to reintroduce the tree in cropping programs. We’re going to reintroduce the tree to supply providers to agriculture. Because of its skill to "mycorrhizer" that’s to say to create interactions with fungi within the soil, it would create natural matter. It would have micro-climatic results. It would have windbreak results. For this reason we put hedges within the south of France, to guard from the wind.

So all these climatic results, this recycling of vitamins in a soil, these are the rules of agroforestry. We then have an effect on an out there space. We’re going to lose yield as a result of we introduce timber however it would convey different providers. The entire concern right now of desirous about the reintroduction of the tree is what service we’re going to have because of the tree that we’re going to reintroduce versus how a lot it prices us, in yield or on the floor. That is all of the very advantageous adjustment that’s made.

"The entire concern right now of desirous about the reintroduction of the tree is what service we’re going to have because of the tree that we’re going to reintroduce versus how a lot it prices us, in yield or on the floor. "

In tropical agronomy, for cocoa for instance, that is very apparent. The cocoa tree is a shrub that lives within the shade within the wild. To provide extra, we planted massive areas in full solar. Solely right now, with the episodes of drought, cocoa timber are discovering it very arduous to withstand. There are subsequently many farmers who reintroduce timber into their cocoa timber to learn from a shading impact and a safety impact towards sure pests. An adjustment takes place between these timber which give providers in a cocoa plantation and a cocoa plantation which can give full potential whereas being very delicate to those climate hazards.

That is the setting that operates right now. We now have to seek out balances that may soak up shocks.

We’re presently in an election interval and there are a lot of events which might be proposing to plant timber. But you appear to be saying that it’s not sufficient to simply plant them. A steadiness should even be revered.

For certain. Previously 12 months, there have been huge bulletins from many international locations. We’re going to replant hundreds of timber and so on … The tree is a dwelling being. Sure we will plant timber. However shortly, half can die after a 12 months! There have been huge replanting and reforestation applications which were huge failures. We should certainly take into consideration why we plant timber, on what areas we put them. Are these public areas or are they personal areas?

Personally, I’m extra of a tree specialist in agriculture so these are personal areas, that’s to say plots of farmers. On this case, we surprise which service are we in search of. Which tree will be capable of present us with providers? How a lot will it price me and the way a lot will it earn me? What’s the working time? We now have gradual rising timber, quick rising timber.

"It isn’t by saying that in precept we’re going to put timber in every single place that we’re going to reply to something"

The valuation can enter under consideration. The farmer may also turn into a wooden producer. These are all of the calculations. So certainly, it’s not by saying that in precept we’ll put timber in every single place that we’ll reply to something. It isn’t an answer in itself.

Planting timber has plenty of advantages and the forest concern is fascinating as a result of by observing the forest you learn the way farming works. There’s a e-book that I like to recommend which is named "Pondering like a tree" by Jacques Tassin, who’s a CIRAD researcher and who exhibits how we are likely to anthropize the tree an excessive amount of. Timber should not people. These live issues that may encourage us in lots of points, however we have to be cautious with transpositions which might be too straightforward.

At EU stage, is that this transition to a brand new agricultural mannequin supported?

We discover this help because of the second pillar of the CAP which seeks to finance all that’s growth on the scale of the territories. These are issues that the European Union is engaged on. It has funded plenty of natural farming and its growth.

Due to my specialization in tropical agronomy, I can communicate of a present concern in Europe that is named imported deforestation. That’s to say that our agriculture, opposite to fashionable perception, generates very sturdy impacts in international locations aside from the EU, and particularly deforestation in tropical areas.

We all know very nicely what's occurring with palm oil however the second crop impacted by our agricultural financial system is soybeans. Within the Amazon, in Brazil, the engine of deforestation is soy. Why soy? As a result of it’s important for milk manufacturing in Europe. Soy supplies protein for livestock and subsequently can produce milk. This mannequin which appears very sturdy is in truth primarily based on a big deforestation.

France and the EU have adopted a coverage towards imported deforestation. Concertation frameworks are set as much as see how we will monitor the EU’s impacts on the world's tropical forests and see what instruments have to be put in place. These are insurance policies that exist right now.

To sum up, there’s an try on the a part of the EU in addition to of France to make agriculture much less carbon-consuming, by making an allowance for all the manufacturing chain.

Sure and it is rather fascinating as a result of we should not neglect these impacts that we’ve got on these international locations.

Usually in France, it’s stated that the forest cowl has elevated. What’s true. However on the identical time, within the Amazon, we’re massively eradicating the richest and most important forests within the international ecosystem to have the ability to feed our cows. There’s nonetheless one thing mistaken.

“The obligations are subsequently very diffuse and the stakes are extra international. We don't know, however 25% of the sphere impact gases are generated by agriculture "

I work on the event of fashions, in these agricultural international locations, with out deforestation. It’s being applied and it’s as soon as once more a combination of methods, market and governance. Parce que le gouvernement brésilien à un second donné fait le choix politique de couper sa forêt, ou pas. Mais si l’Europe crée un marché necessary pour le soja brésilien, le choix politique est vite fait. On brade la forêt pour fournir l’Europe.

Les responsabilités sont donc très diffuses et les enjeux sont plus globaux. On ne le sait pas souvent mais 25% des gaz à effet de sphère est généré par l’agriculture. C’est plus que le transport. L’enjeu des modes de manufacturing à venir tourne donc aussi autour de cela. Il faut aller au-delà de l’histoire des molécules chimiques qui ne va rien résoudre à ces problèmes.

Est-ce qu’il serait potential que le système agricole en Europe puisse fonctionner sans importation ?

Il semble en effet extrêmement nécessaire de réfléchir à ce que notre élevage soit moins dépendant du soja. Les révolutions agricoles du fin XIXème – début XXème siècle s’étaient basées sur les interactions entre l’élevage et les cultures. Le problème, c’est qu’on a trop spécialisé les fermes. Aujourd’hui, il y a des fermes qui sont incapables de produire leur matière organique ou leurs aliments. Donc là aussi, la réflexion se fait à l’échelle des fermes.

Remark diversifier les cultures ? Je discutais avec les gens de l’AOC de la rigotte de Condrieu, petit fromage de chèvre qui pousse dans le Pilat, au sud de Lyon. Ces personnes sont en prepare de réfléchir à ce que le soja qu’ils utilisent pour leur fromage soit produit dans la région.

Essayer de faire des partenariats avec des agriculteurs de la région pour recentrer un peu la manufacturing, cela peut être le rôle des produits à haute valeur ajoutée comme le fromage. C’est un objet qui a un marché, il est réputé, de grande qualité. Commencer par ce kind de produits pourrait être un bon début. C’est sûr qu’on ne va pas demander à des fermes ultra-spécialisées, avec 2.000 vaches et qui font du lait à 20 centimes de changer leur modèle. Par contre, sur les AOC fromagères, ça peut être intéressant de penser à du soja français.

Vous souhaitez donc lutter contre l’hyperspécialisation de l’agriculture en France en mettant en avant la nécessité de diversifier les productions. Mais cette diversification have interaction encore une fois des moyens methods et économiques.

Il faut bien commencer quelque half. Comme l’enjeu est financier, autant commencer par ceux qui ont un peu de « marge » financière, pour pouvoir tester des improvements. Et après les choses se diffusent. Toutes les improvements qui fonctionnent en général se diffusent ensuite.

Je prends l’exemple de la confusion sexuelle qui a été inventée par l’agriculture biologique. Pour diminuer la inhabitants d’un ravageur, on va pulvériser dans l’air des phéromones. Les mouches ou les bestioles qui volent seront complètement perdues. Des signaux sexuels sont envoyés de partout. Ils ne se retrouvent plus, ils n’arrivent plus à se reproduire. La inhabitants n’est pas éliminée mais elle diminue. C’est tellement efficace et tellement sain, parce que la phéromone, c’est une molécule inoffensive, que cette approach s’est diffusée dans toute l’agriculture. Aujourd’hui, tout le monde peut utiliser la confusion sexuelle.

Pour moi l’idée, c’est de trouver où est-ce qu’on peut innover. Trouvons des applied sciences qui fonctionnent et elles seront reproduites ensuite.

« Trouvons des applied sciences qui fonctionnent et elles seront reproduites ensuite »

Pour finir sur une word un peu plus légère, vous écrivez un weblog, Wine and Noise, qui associe le vin à la musique. Est-ce que vous poursuivez aussi cette activité ?

Alors tout cela demande beaucoup de temps. C’est un peu mou niveau rédaction mais on proceed d’organiser des petites fêtes. D’ailleurs on en organise une vendredi. On fait ça au Périscope et il y aura deux groupes qui sortent leur disque.

Il y aura aussi une cuvée spéciale d’amis vignerons de Rive-de-Gier, les Déplaude de Tartaras. Ce sont de supers vignerons qui ont relancé la viticulture dans la vallée du Gier. Ils font un travail extraordinaire avec un cépage autochtone. Cela permet la revitalisation de ce terroir qui est tout aussi exceptionnel que d’autres terroirs proches, comme la Côte-Rôtie par exemple. C’est une tremendous aventure humaine et agricole qu’ils sont en prepare de lancer avec des agriculteurs de la région. C’est pour ça qu’on les met à l’honneur. Ils sont en plein dans la mouvance de ce qu’on raconte dans le livre. Donc voilà, une fête sortie de disques, sortie de livre et cuvée spéciale.

Cédric Rabany présentera son livre à Lyon dans le cadre d’une soirée festive au Périscope ce vendredi 28 février.