Seminar Triglav, Pouussignol, 7-9 July 2017

Note 3: Rural, rural, rural, agriculture, peasantry … Some definitions, remarks, programs…

Rurality?

“Conditions of the campaign, rural state”(Fournel, 1822)

“What is rurality?” It is the custom of working in the fields, of their order and method. “(L.Daudet, 1922)

1.  Rurality: Conditions of things and people of the countryside, character, state of what is rural, and
2. Rurality: Rural areas are characterized by relatively low population density, a landscape with a predominant vegetation cover (fields, meadows, forests, other natural areas) by relatively large agricultural activity, she occupies. “(Encyclopedia of the Agora, For a Sustainable World).

Ruralism?

 “Politics of the deputies elected by the campaigns known as conservative”(E. Millaud, Diary of a parliamentarian, 1874)

“Trends to make prevail the ways of life of the campaign”(C. Bougle, Socialisms, 1932)

 “It is the great merit of Lois Leroy to emphasize in 125 pages the interest of ruralism” the science of living better in the countryside “(Journal Combat, 19 October 1960)

“Ruralism: Research and propaganda for the development of the countryside to the benefit not only of the rural people but also of the vacationers and tourists of the urban population”(Larousse ?, 1978)

“The aspiration to live one’s life is no longer repressed and inhibited as it was in the 60s. It takes on an aspect that is sometimes illuministic and naive, sometimes furious and desperate. It seeks its delivery in yogisms, group therapies, hallucinogenic experiments, communities, neo-crafts, neo-rurality. “(Edgar Morin, Le Monde, 1978)

 “These two books (…) do not give in the” paysannite “or in the” neural-rurality “and present themselves as excellent guides for those who want to understand these two” terroirs “(Le Monde, 27/9/1978 )

Rural areas

• Three types of use of the rural space: (1) The campaign life framework; (2) The Resource Campaign; (3) The nature campane. “
• Three types of dynamics for rural areas: 

   (1) Peri-urban spaces (rapid growth, very dependent on cities for employment, businesses, services, etc.);

(2) Rural areas called “deep” or “fragile”, remote from cities, difficult access to public services, fast transport; Aging population, demographic decline despite the contribution of pensions … (part of the Massif Central, south-west, Southern Alps); 

(3) Rural areas known as “living”, more or less distant from cities; A certain demographic balance; tourism ; Adaptable traditional industries; Agrifoods industries ; (For these two paragraphs, web site citing Philippe Perrier-Corner, National Institute of Agronomic Research, Dijon).

About the Confédération Paysanne (website)

Syndicate born in 1987. Syndicate for a peasant agriculture and the defense of the workers.

Struggle against a model: industrial agriculture, and also, above all, struggle for a project, peasant agriculture. This peasant agriculture is the only guarantee of the creation of agricultural jobs, of living territories, of a respectful environment, of a quality food.

Guiding philosophy

This project is not about competitiveness at all costs. It is that of living together, of living well, of solidarity

Peasant agriculture is an alternative to destructive agriculture, based on profit.

The world is not a commodity .

Production has three dimensions: social, economic and ecological.

Peasant agriculture is based on four tenets:

• Food Sovereignty
• Control of distribution
• The right to income
• Respect for the  environment

The functions of agriculture:

• Produce a healthy and quality food for all
• To employ by installing and maintaining large numbers of peasants, by improving working conditions, by combating the rural exodus and for living campaigns, in particular by defending small farms
•  Preserving, by excluding hazardous production methods by their direct or indirect impact (nitrates, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, GMOs …) by maintaining and preserving natural resources and landscapes and terroirs, biodiversity and The peasant know-how.

The Charter of Peasant Agriculture exists to:

• Re-distribute production volumes in order to allow as many people as possible to enter and live in the trade.
• To be in solidarity with peasants from other regions of Europe and the world.
• Respect the environment: We do not inherit the land of our parents; We borrow it from our children.
• Enhance abundant resources and save scarce resources.
• Seek transparency in the purchase, production, processing and sale of agricultural products.
• Look for partners with other rural actors.
• Maintain the diversity of animal populations and cultivated plant varieties.
• Reason always in the long term and in a global way.

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See also Via Campesina, the European Coordination Via Campesina, Friends of the Peasant Confederation.