What agriculture for a sustainable food production? An interview with Emmanuel Leveugle, farmer.
How can we produce a more sustainable food supply? Can a specific standard be applied to all types of soil? From sustainable agriculture to agro-ecology and mixed farming, we offer you three agricultural perspectives that are firmly committed to sustainable food.
Emmanuel Leveugle is a rapeseed and field crop farmer in Cambrai, in the county of Nord, France. He cultivates his plots of land by combining several production models on his farm: organic agriculture, conventional sustainable agriculture, and soil regeneration by limiting plowing, which he does not use in opposition. How does this play out in practice? Why is he committed to agroecology? Here is his story.
What agricultural production methods do you currently practice on your land?
Since 1992 I have been growing oilseeds such as rapeseed, along with cereals and beets as well. More than 20 years ago, my wife and I decided to experiment with organic farming on a section of our farm. Unlike “conventional” agriculture, this approach prohibits the use of synthetic products by only resorting to organic fertilizers and pesticides of natural origin.
It is also subject to a set of specifications that must be adhered to. Controls are carried out by a certification body. Converting to organic farming takes three years, involving many changes in the field. Going organic entails learning new techniques, sometimes encountering difficulties, and learning to overcome them. Thistle and rumex, for example, are highly invasive “weeds” found on our plots. As part of the commitments we are required to make for certification, we weed either by hand or with machines to avoid using chemicals. While these techniques require adaptation and work, they also led me to expand my vision of agriculture. In the end, most of these good practices also apply to my other farming methods, as part of a global agroecology approach.
What is agroecology?
Agroecology is a concept with a double objective: to produce food in quantity and quality, while protecting the environment. It brings together the diverse agricultural models that focus on respecting biodiversity and its three key components: soil, air, and water. Such models include organic, low-input agriculture limiting the use of fertilizers and/or phytosanitary products. However, the low-carbon label also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and optimize carbon sequestration in the soil.
Agroecology is based on the principle that there is no single global answer to all the agricultural and environmental challenges. It assumes that there are several solutions depending on the land, the crops, and the climatic hazards. This concept is based on a progress agreement signed with the public authorities enabling each farmer to make positive changes: by planting hedges or nectaring plants, by avoiding soil erosion, and by working on soil carbon storage, etc. The latest developments in science and digital technology enable the creation of decision support tools. They assist us in improving our practices by encouraging tailor-made management practices for our farms.
How would you define sustainable food and how do you propose contributing to it?
Sustainable agriculture must feed the population, while respecting the environment and providing fair compensation to the various actors. Each farmer therefore has a clear responsibility to reconcile these three main pillars in their work: the environment, society, and the economy. By fully integrating these three dimensions of sustainable agriculture, agroecology advances in the right direction, and we move forward together thanks to everyone’s contribution.
President of the Groupe bio interprofessionnel Intercéréales – Terres Univia, Emmanuel Leveugle is also a director of the FOP where he is responsible for environmental issues.
