Farmers

French farmers protest: ‘we prefer the far-right to ecologists’

Agricultural leader says left-wing policies will ‘kill’ the industry. He also says farmers prefer current prime minister Gabriel Attal as he is ‘afraid’ of them

Angry French and Spanish farmers block motorway in 24-hour action

Several points on the border are closed, or traffic is being diverted, with up to 1,000 tractors blockading the roads

Adopt a goat scheme in France looks for landowners to save animals

Around 1,000 goats have been saved from the abattoir in five years

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Watch: French farmers clash with police and dump manure in Bordeaux

Around 60 tractors formed a rolling barricade around the city in a bid to pressure the regional council

French farmers say there will be more protests in next two weeks

Last motorway roadblock ends but union says ‘our anger is still smouldering’

Why are there more boar in France in 2024 - and will it continue?

Farmers around the country report increased damage from the animals

SEE: Tensions flare as Macron tries to defuse French farmer protests

The president offered two new concessions during his embattled visit to the Paris Agricultural Show

Farmer roadblocks intensify, holiday traffic: 5 France travel updates

We also look at new luggage rules for trains and proposed compensation for people affected by recent rail strikes

‘Farmer crisis is a pig for new French PM and a godsend for Le Pen’

It is tough at the top of the greasy pole of politics, observes commentator Simon Heffer

French farmer protests restart: what is happening where?

Pressure mounts for solutions to calm the situation before the Paris International Agricultural Show starts this weekend

French farmers block supermarket deliveries in south-west

Threat of roadblocks returns amid claims of government ‘inaction’ in lead up to Paris agricultural show

French farmers stage new protests around banks in south-west France

Tractors are dumping manure outside sites. Union claims the government is too slow to advance concessions

Will farmer roadblocks return? French union angered by lack of action

The president of the union has said he has ‘not ruled out’ future blockades

Updated: How important is buying French produce to you?

We share reader feedback after the farmer protests swept France

Which supermarket foods are running low due to French farmer protest?

Shops and restaurants face delivery delays in some areas

See where French farmer roadblocks are intensifying

The protest spreads following the death of a mother and her daughter at a barricade on Tuesday

French farmer roadblocks continue: Woman killed as car hits barricade

The accident left two other people seriously injured as the protest spreads around the country

Farmers block several French motorways as protests spread

‘All departments’ are now concerned by the protest over regulations

Wastewater in sea blamed for oyster ban in France

The industry has called for compensation after the suspension of sales, which will cost oyster farmers ‘millions of euros’, said a representative

New law to stop ‘townie’ complaints over French farm smells and noises

MPs who voted for the law hope it will free up courts from cases about farmers ‘just doing their jobs’

Will €3.5billion pledge be enough to secure future of French farming?

Columnist Nick Inman explores why farmers are squeezed between eco transition, a dwindling workforce and the demand for cheap food

Why French village and town road signs are being turned upside down

The upside-down signs first appeared in Tarn, Occitanie, and have spread nationally, but it is in Brittany that they are most visible

Why Lavender farmers are burning parts of their fields in France

A variety of factors have taken their toll on the industry’s profitability

Farmers boost France’s gas independence with small methane plant

A methane plant near Poitiers produces enough gas from farmers’ cover crops to run most of the city’s bus fleet

Trial to grow oilseed for green aviation fuel on French farm

The camelina crop was used in cosmetics but could be used to power planes if tests are successful

Why peanuts and pistachios are the future of French farming

Farmers must grow completely different crops adapted to extreme weather, says scientist

Lavender crops destroyed overnight by caterpillars in south of France

Moths were blown across the Mediterranean by a Sirocco desert wind - farmers lose up to 80% of crop

Eco-protest convoy of tractors and bikes to travel through France

A new protest against the controversial ‘mega-reservoirs’ will set off for Paris this week

French mountain farmers keep herding and hospitality traditions alive

Culture of transhumance, good food and accommodation is passed down the generations of farmers, known as marcaires

Vandals ‘uproot more than 7,000 apple trees’ in southern France

A local environmental group has denied claims it was behind the incident

French tomatoes become latest food to receive top quality label

Why growers submit to random inspections and taste tests to compete on quality not price

New cull list of wildlife 'pests' upsets conservationists

We look at species on the latest three-yearly ‘pest’ list and the reactions

The only cheese-makers in Ambert make mildest blue cheese in France

The creamy blue ‘Fourme d’Ambert’ is lovingly made by these third generation dairy farmers

Remote French village reinvigorated by women farmers and Basque pigs

A new generation of dynamic young farmers is moving into Urepel, but the telephone reception is not quite as vigorous

French farmers’ union welcomes plans for new residency permit

France plans to create a specific residency permit for foreigners who are already working illegally in industries facing labour shortages

Meet the producers: the Toulouse farmers who mill their own crops

Three farmers bought the traditional granite mill and now press their own oil and flour to sell

Meet the man behind the French fair trade food revolution

The director of top food brand ‘C’est qui le patron?!’ talks to The Connexion’s Théophile Larcher about his mission for a fair food industry

Wolf identified in southeast Vienne is first in a century

Wolves have not been seen locally for almost 100 years. Sheep farmers say the reappearance is bad news.

French court orders 4G antenna switch-off over cow health concerns

A farmer in central-east France said that milk production had dropped by 15-20% in the days following the antenna installation, and 40 of his 200 cows had died

Wildlife experts have spotted golden jackals for first time in France

While jackals do not venture into towns, farmers are warned to protect small or newborn livestock - we describe how to identify one of France’s newest species

Should farmers in France warn locals before spraying pesticides?

One reader lives next to a field and wants to know what rights they have. We speak to a representative of an environmental association to find out

France announces bird flu support fund for stricken poultry farmers

More than eight million birds have been culled in the department of Vendée alone, as an unprecedented strain of avian flu ‘massacres’ the western region

Noise and smell of cows land French farmer with €100,000 fine

The ruling, which the farmer says will cause him to lose his business, is the latest in a series of disputes between rural farmers and residents

International Women’s Day: Three French women who beat the odds

To mark the annual March 8 event, we speak to a pilot, a dairy farmer and a ski patroller about the challenges they faced to do something they love

How passionate farmers are reviving Menton’s iconic lemon

The town’s annual lemon festival, which takes places this month, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors but has to rely on imported fruits after the local industry fell into decline

French pig farmers declare ‘state of emergency’ over pork prices

Increasing cost of animal food and other raw materials amid tight supermarket prices are forcing them to sell at a loss, claim farmers

French Champagne’s record €5.5bn year is ‘victory for good living’

Industry expert says that 2021 sales are likely to be the ‘best ever year for Champagne’ – a marked improvement after the sector was badly hit during the first lockdown in 2020

Shopping local: France's AMAP farm basket scheme explained

Each month, we take a selection of reader questions and answer them. One of July's questions is about France's AMAP scheme and whether it is good value.

Much-admired French environmentalist Pierre Rabhi dies age 83

Tributes have begun to pour in for the farmer, writer and environmental campaigner, who died yesterday

French producer: ‘Foie gras can only be made if you love geese’

There are few foie gras producers in France where everything is done on the farm. Florian Boucherie runs ferme auberge La Garrigue Haute in Dordogne

Alert: Cheese recall after brucellosis case found in French dairy farm

Reblochon cheese sold in supermarkets throughout France could be contaminated by the disease, which can spread to humans

France must improve farm pesticide rules for workers and locals

The court said that the current regulations are insufficient and do not provide enough protection for people living and working close to pesticide spreading, especially in rural areas

Time to stock up on olive oil? France fears olive shortage

The year has been tough for olive producers, with the health crisis and extreme weather wreaking havoc on the ‘temperamental’ fruit, pushing prices up

French farmers sell to the public using vending machines

Set up by a group of farmers in Tarn-et-Garonne, the shop sells fresh produce with ease of access at any time

Water limits in place in parts of France due to lack of spring rain

Surface level water deficits had already reached 60-80% in some areas, prompting water restrictions and drought fears - but rain is now forecast

Meet the organic goat farmers at ‘La Chèvrerie de la Peytavigne’

Originally from Belgium, Jean-François and Catherine Chapelier have around 30 milking goats and approximately 17 acres of pasture

Record cold snap in France: How unusual is it and is it over?

Heavy rain and low temperatures predicted for the days ahead

Prized Italian white truffle now to be produced in France

The rare tuber - which can sell for up to five times the price of its black equivalent - will now be grown under controlled conditions in France due to a ‘world first’ farming innovation

Mountain village in the Jura wants unique milk lift restored

A village is campaigning to reopen a local mountain lift that has a unique mechanism to carry milk churns down from higher-altitude dairy farms

French farmers ask for old Christmas trees to feed herds

Around France, farmers are recycling old festive pine trees by using them to feed their sheep and goats

Covid-19 confirmed at French mink farm; 1,000 slaughtered

A strain of the virus was confirmed at a farm in Eure-et-Loir, with test results for a further two French farms still pending

The British and Irish farmers of France

Farmers from the British Isles are attracted to farming in France for a handful of reasons and not just the cost of land

France: Virus affects melons, cucumbers and courgettes

The virus, identified in the South of France, does not pose a risk to human health

French farmer’s long fight against Monsanto draws to close

Farmer Paul François has been locked in a legal battle with the controversial multinational corporation since 2004

Insecticide harmful to bees temporarily allowed in France

Neonicotinoids have been approved for three years to be used in growing sugar beet despite having previously been banned, mainly due to evidence that they are toxic for bees

EU may outlaw cage farming after 1.4m sign new initiative

Farming using cages could be banned in the European Union after almost 1.4 million EU citizens signed a new initiative against the practice, with the proposal now set to be examined by the European Commission.

French beet growers fight for neonicotinoid exemption

Farmers deliver plans to protect pollinators in bid to get MPs to approve amendment to bee-killing insecticide ban

Mont d’Or cheese on sale in France from tomorrow

The season for eating Mont d’Or cheese starts on September 10. We take a look at the history of this French speciality.

How to repel wild boars in France: try juniper wood oil

Farmers and hunters are sharing the latest tip for keeping wild boar away from crops – juniper wood essential oil.

British birds destroying farmland crops in Brittany

Jackdaws - small crows that eat corn - have caused €3 million-worth of damage to farmland crops in Côtes-d’Armor and Finistère (Brittany) in the past 10 years, according to a report.

Positive environmental news in France: June

In this month's round up of the positive environmental news making headlines in France, we talk waste, pesticide use, and solar panels on a supermarket.

France bans word ‘steak’ on vegetarian products

The words "steak", "escalope" and "sausage" ( saucisse ) can no longer be used to describe meat alternatives made from vegetable proteins, according to a new French law.

€30,000 reward for info on southwest France bear killer

A €30,000 reward is being offered by NGO Sea Shepherd for any information about a Pyrenees bear shot in Ustou (Ariège, Occitanie) on June 9. Police are investigating the killing.

Pyrenees bear found shot dead in southwest France

A wild Pyrenees bear has been found illegally killed in southwest France, prompting the ecology minister to lodge a formal State complaint into the crime.

Farmers can spray pesticides within 5m of rural homes

Nature and ecology groups supported by about 100 mayors have lost an urgent legal challenge to laws allowing farmers to spray weedkiller and pesticides close to homes in the French countryside.