“Letting nature take its course is ideology,” says the president of the FNSEA

Whereas France is preparing for a fourth week of heat since the start of summerthe drought jeopardizes crops. The president of the National Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FNSEA) believes that “storing water intelligently is a priority“. “Let nature take its course, it’s good, beautiful and good, but it’s ideologybelieves Christiane Lambert, interviewed in The Sunday Journal . The climate situation we are experiencing requires human management of the problem“. And to add:Without artificial storage, some who do not have access to water will find themselves condemned to growing non-irrigated crops. It will be wheat, wheat, wheat. And monoculture, we know what it can lead to“.

Read alsoDrought: is there a risk of running out of drinking water on a large scale in the coming weeks?

The lack of rainfall and the alarming state of the water tables raise fears of increasingly severe restrictions for households. To remedy this, the government is calling on the French and professionals to reduce their water consumption. “We’ve been adapting for 10 yearsemphasizes Christiane Lambert. We have already reduced our water needs by 30%. In many departments, farmers have no choice: they need water. A tomato is 90% water. Farmers’ water feeds us“. Anticipating criticism of overconsumption of water, the trade unionist believes that “only 5% of farmers» use irrigation to save crops.

Read alsoHow to store water to face the next droughts?

The FNSEA also fears a shortage of milk due to lack of fodder due to drought. Consequence: the crops burn and the meadows turn yellow. “Animals seeking food damage the earth by scratching it. The lack of fodder will affect all farms and all of France. The harvest will start in some vineyards three weeks in advance“, worries Christiane Lambert.

---

SEE ALSO – In a “historic” context of drought, Christophe Béchu gives “priority to drinking water”