Amid a crisis for farmers and an urgent environmental situation, a concerning observation arises: the food sector accounts for nearly a quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions. After the period of assessment, it is now time for action from all stakeholders. From theoretical approaches to concrete efforts, the synergies between upstream and downstream agriculture must intensify to achieve a sustainable social and environmental transition.
The agro-food industry is complex: in addition to the multiplicity of sectors, the industry chain is divided into three links: upstream, central, and downstream. Beyond the imbalance in commercial relations between upstream - the farmers - and downstream - the distributors - the imminent arrival of environmental labeling and stricter regulations on Scope 3 measurement create an irreversible momentum. "From farm to fork," and because they are all intrinsically linked, all actors must mobilize to accelerate the evolution of their practices.
On the "farm" side, it is clear that food production is largely responsible for the sector's carbon footprint: our farms are 70% dependent on oil. While the entire agro-food industry demands an accelerated ecological transition, the agricultural model that would fund this transition is not yet stable.
Caught between evolving regulations and the demands of downstream agriculture, upstream actors are acutely aware of the economic difficulties caused by the transformation of agricultural practices and more sustainable sourcing. Already struggling, if farmers do not see the financial model that would encourage them to transition, it is impossible to undertake this necessary transformation on a large scale.
Environmental policy must thus be accompanied by a strong social policy. Transition and farmer compensation cannot be considered as separate entities. To contribute to Scope 3, manufacturers, farmers, cooperatives, and traders must benefit from a sustainable and incentivizing economic added value. This could involve the financial valuation of productions, the off-sector valuation of good environmental practices on farms, support for the transition through, for example, payment for "environmental services," etc.
These possibilities can collectively address the well-being and stability of these actors. In this sense, the development of responsible labels and sectors is good news. To go further, this new financial model could also take into account the risk profile of new practices (agroecology, regenerative agriculture, etc.), and a true environmental accounting could be envisaged, far beyond the "simple" carbon measurement.
The actors furthest downstream in the value chain, such as distributors and commercial channels, are more confident than their partners in achieving their short- and medium-term goals. Their role is nevertheless crucial, with the creation of new products or processes, both to support the changes in practices of their suppliers and to anticipate consumer demand.
To encourage upstream-downstream collaboration, the signing of multi-year contracts between the different actors could play a key role in defining a true valuation model. Only this approach could really allow upstream agriculture and downstream value chain links to establish durable relationships to work together on real changes in models and processes.
Andros, for example, has been working with its producer partners for about fifteen years - the idea being to encourage fruit growers to implement in their orchards the agroecological practices experimentally tested by the company: cover crops, agroforestry, differentiated water management, use of ecosystems to fight pests, etc.
The Association of Dairy Producers Bel Ouest (APBO) has been engaged since 2018 in the "Mon BB Lait" initiative with Bel, allowing for better remuneration of producers, improvement of animal welfare, and an overall reduction of environmental impact. This "win-win" partnership allows both entities to collaborate more effectively and determine the levers to rely on and create relevant environmental indicators based on consolidated and indisputable data.
The environmental urgency and the imminent arrival of new legal obligations highlight the interdependence of the different links in the agro-food chain. The farmer, the first in line, cannot transition alone. Mobilizing all actors in the sector and a collective effort, for a more balanced and inherently more sustainable system, will enable scaling up the change in practices. This concerns both our sovereignty and our food security. However, one question remains: will the final consumer also accept to pay part of the bill?
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